After being severely disappointed with the 2014 Lagavulin 12 CS, I unearthed this gem (I'm very, very hard to impress). The two actually aren't too dissimilar...the most redeeming differences found in this 10, are the fact that the casks weren't burnt to an ashy crisp, and that the distillate is far superior. Every so often, when making a whisky, things come together beautifully-- and it's no accident when it does. The folks at Benriach who are responsible for making such an excellent single malt were raised well by their good mothers, they ate healthy full breakfasts before going to work, and took their vitamins in the purest, healthiest way-- by juicing. I wholeheartedly recommend this to the most discriminating palates. I'd trade my 2nd bottle of Laga 12 for just one more of these in a heartbeat, that is; if my passion for studying the science of whisky crafting do's and don'ts didn't get the best of me. If you are the master distiller of a different distillery, DO: learn from The Benriach...and please, DON'T: over-char your casks, and if you do, PLEASE knock away the ash clinging to the inside before you fill it with precious distillate, LAGAVULIN!! (Lazy employees should be fired...if they're making whisky, at least...it's an art, not a "drive-thru")
My unbiased score: 91 well-earned points...and I rarely rate much above an 85.
My biased score, not including the excellent value: 93 points.
Cheers!
