[March, 2017]  Of all the currently operating distilleries Lagavulin has the greatest flavour profile to me.  In the past Ardbeg, Brora and Laphroaig were on eye-level to this - but Brora is gone and Ardbeg as well as Laphroaig went into serious quality issues over the last years.  Only Lagavulin stands firm in the eye of the whisky boom hurricane (obviously Diageo manages this distillery at arm's length and this pays off - hopefully they will keep it that way...).

This dram is another proof of above:  A complex yet very rounded nose with an adorable sweet-peaty-sherry-spicy aromas profile that is simply delicious to sniff.  Bold arrival in the mouth, very smooth despite its 51,9% abv.  Over the next minutes wave on wave of perfectly balanced flavours roll over your tongue so that it is tricky to catch them all.  The finish is of medium length, quite complex and makes you addicted to this stuff.  It is hard to resist to pour another dram and another dram and another dram....

I will light a candle every sunday if Lagavulin is able to keep this quality completely throughout the current whisky boom phase!

This is just a dream of a Lagavulin... on certain days, I would probably rank this better than the legendary first 21yo bottling, depending on if you like something with more power and stickiness (this bottle) or something that is a bit more delicate, complex, and fruity (2007 21 yo). For further comparison, I enjoy this Jazz 2013 slightly more than the feis ile 2014 (which is slightly more austere, less fruity, but just as great). After tasting this Jazz from a sample, I went out and purchased two more bottles in an auction (I already had one in the bunker) -- three more bottles for the future, where this kind of great bottling at reasonable price will be rarer and rarer.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2020/11/08/whisky-website-rankings-the-worlds-top-100/

I rarely revisit Lagavulin, perhaps because I know it’s there. Of course, it’s the 16yo I’m talking about. Until the 8yo and 12yo appeared relatively recently, alternative expressions rarely came up – none via the independents that I’ve tried. Sure, there are the festival bottlings and special releases, but they are, at best, annuals [if you can get your hands on them]. This festival expression came from the 2013 Islay Jazz Fest, the same year as I visited Islay for the first time in October. I picked up this samples from the Old & Rare show for a steal [just £5 for a very generous 25ml pour], from the equally generous Tomislav Ruszkowski.

N: The abv-strength appears formidable but offers up glorious oils, most gentile/relaxed oily phenols, grated carrot & cabbage [that’s a new one], a dry-crusty saltiness,…. With the smoke being more of a passing glance, it’s the salty oiliness which is this one’s most attractive feature.

T: My my, that is a glorious and effortless arrival, everytime. There’s me raving about a single cask 10yo Edradour and a 9yo SMWS Allt-a-bhainne as ‘divine’ and ‘composed’ respectively [reports to follow], but here, we are on an altogether different level. The arrival into the journey continues along savoury oily lines, the more bitter peat always quietly working behind the scenes yet present and expanding, the overall development so involving, and again, so effortless at 51.9%. Phenomenal!

F: From start to finish, this keeps on dancing and dancing. What’s lacking? Nothing. The peaty earthy phenols seep deep, leaving a savoury-sweet ash on the palate top.

C: Phenomenal indeed. A contemporary classic without a shadow,…. With thanks to Tom.

One of the best Lagavulin i have tried so far. It appears to be more sherried and strong body than the Feis ile 2014, beautiful peat with bacon and hay flavor are very relishing !

Smooth and nice dram at nose, but the sherry taste overcomes the liquid compressing the other flavours out of the sherry range. 

Sort of beautiful wowan with too much make up.  

[October, 2016]  I had this dram during a "Lagavulin Bicentenary" tasting at Bonn.In my old rating system (ten scales that translate into WB points: 50
- 66 - 75 - 80 - 82,5 - 85 - 87,5 - 90 - 92,5 - 95) I scored it 92,5.  Pls. see detailed review below.