In place of an article this week for one of my favorite scotches of all time, I have a video instead. Make no mistake I too enjoy Lagavulin as much as that man, and my brevity comes not from a lack of desire to write about the scotch, but that really nothing more needs to be said. This is in my top 10 of greatest things I have ever drunk in my life.
What they Say: “Box Back: Many believe that this is one of the oldest distillery sites in Scotland. In 1816 local farmer and distiller John Johnston founded the first legal distillery here at Lagavulin (pronounced Laga-voolin, after the Gaelic Laggan Mhouillin,”the hollow where the mill is”).
Today, the four onion-shaped stills at Lagavulin are neatly tucked into a whitewashed jumble of buildings by the sea on Islay’s (pronounced Eye-la) rocky southern shore, guarded by the imposing ruin of Dunyvarg Castle.
There’s nothing hurried about life on Islay or about dark, intense Lagavulin, which receives the slowest distillation of any Islay malt, then spends sixteen years in old oak casks before being bottled.
Pungent and potent, this is the great Islay malt. With richly peaty, deep, smoky flavours, it has an intense, long, ambrosial finish
Lagavulin is the majestic Islay destination on a journey around Scotland’s six malt whisky making regions.
The other Classic Malts are: Glenkinchie Lowland. Dalwhinnie Highland. Cragganmore Speyside. Talisker Island. Oban Western Highland”
Taste: 8.0 – It’s light with a bit of spice.
Aftertaste: 10.0 – But then the peat of Islay comes in a fury, and it stays there with you so long. Like it’s telling you everything will be okay, it’s still here.
Burn/Smooth: 8.5 – And it warms you to the cockles of your heart, maybe below the cockles, maybe the sub-cockle area – maybe your soul.
Aroma: 9.0 – I have been to Scotland once in my life, this combined with the crisp night air signifying fall where I live now is about as close as I can get to smelling Scotland without a plane ticket.
Honesty: 10.0 – I realize that this is a solo-review and that there is a distinct possibility that if it was not, having a 10 in 2 categories would be unlikely. That being said, fuck you – doing it anyway.
Mixability: 6.0
W/ Rocks: 6.0 – I have always defended the addition of small ice cube or drops of water (it was how I was introduced to scotch, via scots); however I have maintained that this is always a case-by-case basis, and adding a bit of ice here just does not give you that same scotch as above. It’s not a bad scotch on it’s own right, but alas.
Value: 6.0 – I bought this as a gift to myself for a successful project launch at my company, and it was worth every cent. Now while it’s certainly a bit price-y – it’s worth more than the money in your bank account.
Google Shop Average: $80
Website: http://www.discovering-distilleries.com/lagavulin/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 9.0
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Metric Score: 57.5/70 |+| Metric Average: 8.2 |+| Reviewer Average: 9.0
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Final Thoughts: I love scotch.
