Lagavulin 8yo (200th Anniversary, 2016)
When Lagavulin first announced their 200th Anniversary bottling, a Lagavulin 8yo, I was a bit disappointed they chose to bottle such a young whisky. Yes, I was happy they at least mentioned the age on the packaging instead of going the NAS-route. But still. It’s in the same price range as the Lagavulin 16, and that doesn’t seem right to me.
But now that I’ve actually tasted it, all that skepticism is gone. Because it is really good! To be honest with you, I actually like it better than Lagavulin 16. Please don’t shoot me 😉
Lagavulin 8 (48%, OB, 30.000 bts.)
Nose: Lots of brine and sal ammoniac. Beeswax too. A nice sugary sweetness accompanied by yellow fruits (banana) and marzipan. Also campfire smoke and just a hint of rubber. The balance is superb.
Taste: The spirit is mouth-coating. And the peat now takes over. Ash, rubber, tar and smoke. Some banana flavoured candy. Very rich in flavour. Not the most complex, but I really don’t care, because it’s just so good.
Finish: Long. And more of the same. Which is a good thing.
Rating: 89
I’m convinced. Lagavulin have come up with an absolute winner and a whisky worthy of celebrating their 200th anniversary.
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
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