Lagavulin Distillery Exclusive Bottling 2017 54.1% NV

Professional reviews

Words of Whisky (87)

:

Color Yellow gold
Nose
Clean and fresh peat, not dissimilar to the Lagavulin 8. There are hints of brine and salty sea air. Lovely notes of citrus (bitter oranges mainly), as well as proper barbecue smoke and wet pebbles. Finally some peaches.

Taste
Nice fat and oily mouthfeel. Quite nutty, highlighted by skins of roasted peanuts, accompanied by an earthy peat smoke and tar. Vanilla also makes an appearance.

Finish
Lingering peat and tar. Long.

Comments
Good stuff, well-integrated, and very tasty, but I wouldn't travel all the way to Islay for this.

Serge Valentin (89)

Diageo seem to be rather fond of these NAS distillery specials these days. Rumour has it this one contains a high proportion of 16 years old that was re-racked into ex-Moscatel casks married with some younger bourbon matured stocks. Moscatel being a sweet sherry similar to PX. Colour: gold. Nose: it certainly ‘feels’ like an older dram - although after the 8 that’s not saying much. A little more mentholated, herbal and petrolic with these lovely notes of salted almonds, kippers drizzled with lemon juice, salted mead, birch beer, cough medicine and iodine drops. There’s also a peppery vinaigrette note with watercress, waxed lemon rind and something like smoked shoe polish (which probably exists in some hipster modern man shop somewhere). Some ash-rolled goats cheese, cow shed, vapour rub, lemon balm and a rather strong note of mocha and a little very bitter chocolate. With water: much more coal dusty, tobacco leaf, lemon rind, earthy mulch, seaweed and touches of beef stock. Mouth: thick, salty, fatty, lots of bacon, salted almonds, soy sauce, a few drops of good limoncello, old ointments, cough syrups and herbal extracts. Excellent delivery. Returns to these light menthol qualities such as eucalyptus vapours and balms. Sandalwood, black olives, mushroom powder and lapsang souchong. A big, emphatic, mouth-coating texture. With water: green peppercorns in brine, game meats, fir liqueur, antiseptic and plasticine. A big, fishy, oily and leathery Laga. Finish: long, leathery, slightly gamey, salted meats, tar, iodine, seaweed, brine and soot. Comments: A big, hearty Lagavulin. There’s obviously been a game of musical casks played with this one at some point but I think it worked very well.