Lagavulin 16 Years Old The Distillers Edition 2019 43% 2003

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (82)

We've been very lazy with the DEs lately, not for bad reasons shall I add. We'll always remember the 1979, bam! Colour: gold. Nose: that's the thing with Lagavulin DE, contrarily to most other Distillers Editions, it is not that different from the regular 16, it would just feel like a 16 that's been further pushed towards sherriness. This one's really very nice, with tobacco, caraway, a touch of mustard, cigarettes, cedarwood, pinewood fire, eucalyptus… All that is well-balanced, getting even a little meaty. Ham and porcini. Mouth: a little drying perhaps, and very mentholy. Rather a lot of oak this time, thin mints, then rose jelly and muscat. Tends to become sweeter and sweeter, almost aquavity (Linie), and even a little stuffy and cloying. Maybe am I overstating this case but I do not recognise the older vintages anymore. It's PX, right. Finish: rather long and getting very leafy and even bitter. Going from sweet to dry and bitter back and forth is a little tiring. Comments: awesome nose but the bittersweet palate's a little difficult to me.

BOW (88)