Lagavulin - 20th December - 7pm GMT

[Muskrat Portage]

Gotta run, just looked at the time and I've got a date with a bottle of Clynelish at a buddies' place.

TTFN. Have fun kids.


Musky

[TreacleSponge]

I'll be back later with luck, but now off to a drinks evening Mrs C57 arranged, unfortunately

Unfortunately? Oh don't be so Bah Humbug about your evening out

[LagaDrinker]

I've gotta go now folks. Hopefully be back later

[mr_fox]

Lagavulin 16yo L5 43%

Colour - Dorset Honey (we have a pot with us to compare!)

Nose - Burning rubber and TCP (according to Mrs Fox)

Taste - woodsmoked barley sugars

Finish - like you just ate a lump of charcoal. lingering for ages...

Comment - amazing balance between the strength of the nose, taste and finish. and all without mentioning the P word!

[I_SPEY]

Welcome Mr & Mrs Fox
Enjoy this tasting !

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - 1984 Distillers Edition
Year - 1984
Age - 17yo ?
ABV - 43%
Cask / Bottle No. -
Colour - Amber
Nose - Sweet Sherry , bags of smoke , Confectioner Sugar , dried fruits , Christmas Cake .
Palate - Dry on the palate at first , not the "Fire" of the 16yo , more relaxed with the sherry .
Finish - Dry sherry with smoke and iodine .
Comments - Bottled 2001 . The Nose and finish are good on this one but the Palate seems to have went a bit AWOL .

[TreacleSponge]

Great note, Mr&Mrs Fox

.......I'm curious to see how many IB's will pop up.

And Alleged Lagavulins Ryans !

I would suggest that most are not. (You started it). More than likely they are CIs.

Are there really mislabelled IBs or am I showing myself up by asking?

[mr_fox]

Lagavulin 1988 DE 43% (bottled 2004)

Colour - Manuka honey (redder than the 16yo)

Nose - Lost the 16yo sweetness, and just a bit quieter

Taste - Christmas pudding with lots of brandy just after the flames have gone out.

Finish - Dry smoke

Comment - We both prefer the 16yo to this as it seems to have lost some of the balance.

[Spirit of Islay]

Are there really mislabelled IBs or am I showing myself up by asking?

Not Mislabelled TS , perfectly good question , wish i had a tenner for every Non-attributed Islay that was said to be a Lagavulin !
It sells more bottles if you just happen to say "of course it's a Lagavulin...." when usually it's a young Caol Ila ( which is very like Laga at a young age....) or even a Laphroaig .

[I_SPEY]

-
Brand : Lagavulin Expression : 1985-2007
Nose : This is more 'direct' at first nosing, though. Sweeter, creamier, immediately on peat Palate : Some pepper, walnuts, some ginger, liquorice?, bitter oranges. Powerful smoke. Tobacco!! Finish : Very long, salty and liquoricy. Comment : Great dram, better tha the 16 Colour : Full amber Score : 93
Age : 21 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 56.5% Bottler : OB	Type : Single Malt Region : Scotland Water : - Ice : - Glass : Tulip Nosing Glass Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

I tried it, but I think I could do better.
Anyway, it was easier to say, that i't's a dilicious dram.
The taste I liked much was the liquorice. Typical for the dutch! They love it.

Courtesy The Tross!

[TreacleSponge]

Ohhh I see, like a supermarket Islay single malt? Thanks for the explanation, SoI.

[Spirit of Islay]

Ohhh I see, like a supermarket Islay single malt? Thanks for the explanation, SoI.

Not so much the Supermarket ones TS , one's like the Ileach , Finlaggan , Pibroch , Signatory 5/6yo Vintage Islay etc , etc , etc

[TreacleSponge]

Oh, ok, gotcha now.

[mr_fox]

Lagavulin 1990 DE 43% (bottled 2006)

Colour - red-gold, just a tad darker than the 1988 DE.

Nose - Sheeps wool (raw, for spinning, says Mrs F)

Taste - herbal tablets (http://www.handycandy.co.uk/herbal-tablets-p-346.html) (haven't had any of these for ages but used to love them...)

Finish - sweet toffee, lasting sweetness and some faint smoke

Comment - closer to the sweetness level of the 16yo, nicely rounded.

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - 12yo Special Release (Bottled 2002)
Year -
Age - 12yo
ABV - 58%
Cask / Bottle No. -
Colour - Light Gold
Nose - First nose makes the hairs of your nose prick up after the 16yo , then a great dollop of Creamy peat , Mocha Coffee , not at all like it's older brother , more akin to an Ardbeg.....
Palate - Sweet peat , spirity , touch Vanilla , Whoof i think is the word....
Finish - Exceptionally long and peaty !
Comments - Bit of a shock after the older 16yo's but i prefer this type of Lagavulin , seems more natural .

[Spirit of Islay]

now over in the SOI chatroom , will pop back to post a couple of more 12yo Tasting Notes....

[TreacleSponge]

My other Lag tonight is the 12. Much much paler than the 16. I haven't included colours in my notes for either, cos the lighting in here isn't very bright and I'm sure I'd call the colour something else in daylight!

Lagavulin 12yo
Brand : Lagavulin Expression : 12yo 2008
Nose : Very promising. Sweet lemon, or lemon drizzle cake with buttercream icing. The sweetness is beautifully balanced with menthol and powerful woody smoke. Something outdoorsy about it. Palate : Thick, oily body. That fabulous bold smoke. Damp hay. A mouthful of Islayness. Sweet and rich and creamy like Green & Black's milk chocolate. Finish : Very long and delicious. Sweet-peaty, swimming pools and a bitter kick before another sweet wave. Comment : Very sumptuous and I prefer it to the 16. There's a hint of strong black coffee in the empty glass. I'd better have some more. Colour : Paler than the 16 Score : 0
Age : 12 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 56.4% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Scotland Water : - Ice : - Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[TreacleSponge]

That's my lot, so I'm going to scoot. I'll check back later on

[I_SPEY]

I'm doing the next dram in your way, Soi

Expression - 12yo Special Release (D. 1995 B. 2007)
Age - 12yo
ABV - 56.4%
Cask / Bottle No. -
Colour - White wine
Nose - Black pepper and iodine
Palate - Medicinal, peat, some touches of vanilla, lemon and spicies
Finish - Exceptionally long, peaty and rather salty at the end.
Comments - I love this one.

[I_SPEY]

I'm off, getting tired and my back is going worse every second, so good night and enjoy the rest of your tastings.
I found this very amusing. Thanks.
Rene

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - 12yo Special Release (Bottled 2003)
Year -
Age - 12yo
ABV - 57.8%
Cask / Bottle No. -
Colour - Golden Barley
Nose - Not as prickly on the nose as the 2002 , again spirity , peat , in fact bags of peat !
Palate - Slightly creamy but fully loaded with peat , touch sweetness later on .
Finish - Long and Peaty , touch of pepper .
Comments - Not as balanced as the 2002 12yo , slightly one dimensional but still a nice dram .

[mr_fox]

Mmmmmm. Thats us done. I think I'll be waking up tomorrow morning with the smoke still lingering in my mouth...

[mikeymad]

That is a good sign Mr_fox....

Cheers Gang... I only have a bottle of

12yo Special Release (OB, 57.7%, 70cl)

and I have to crack the seal to get at it.... so I will be right back.

[Spirit of Islay]

Last one of the night....
Expression - 12yo Special Release (Bottled 2005) for the Islay Collection Pack
Year -
Age - 12yo
ABV - 56.5%
Cask / Bottle No. -
Colour - Gold
Nose - Again very tingly on the nose , spirity , peaty , slightly creamy , touch Cocoa as well .
Palate - Very creamy at first then the peat attack , frothy Coffee.....
Finish - long and peaty with a touch of pepper again .
Comments - Better than the 2003 but not as good as the 2002 , again a very nice dram .

[Spirit of Islay]

Tata for now , concentrating on the chat for the rest of the night......

[mikeymad]

Thanks for the notes SOI....

see U on chat

Cheers,

[Willie JJ]

Very late tonight, but I only have one Laga open anyway: just the 16yo.

[Reggaeblues]

Ooops! Inlaws to dinner and very good it was too! Chicken in sauce that had a creme fraiche base, with tarragon and sherry vinegar. A smoky undertone to this with hints of bacon frying on a seashore barbecue...nope, i ain't talking about no Islay whisky!

Totally forgot about this live tasting, so have been drinking Glenmorangie Original, followed by Aberlour 10, followed by Glenmo Nectar D'or, followed by a touch of Nadurra...the last two shared with my Scottish FIL.

Just poured an Oogie, which i shall dutifully return to the bottle and replace with a...

...Lagavulin 12 OB 2007!

Nose: Totally different character from the 16, which for me is "The" Lagavulin nose, probably because it was the first nose" to grab me by the b**** an has never let go! Nonetheless, it's fresh! Sea breeze and custard. Such a juxtaposition ( Actually, the 16 does this but in a different way - peat and sherry/16th century bibles and peated molasses.)

but this 12 is like paddling with rolled up trousers in shallow low tide, staring out to sea on a misty morning, with a mug of hot chocolate.

The taste translates...at first. then it explodes on the palate, like an Ardbeg, but sweeter peat...followed by lime merinque pie.

Back to the nose...more chocolate and sponge cake this time, but still the whiff of sea air.

the finish carries with it all these elements, the clean south islay air, the lime, the sweet peat...and it isn't in a hurry to leave...great to find a dram where the theme continues from nose to tail...

A great dram, definitely on a par with the oogie...but different. a little bit subtler...

The only trouble with this dram is the memory of the taste of the Laga 21 I had few weeks ago...and the anticipation of the rest of the sample kindly sent to me by the Tross, which I am saving 'til christmas. Now THAT is off the scale for depth and complexity, with a nose that I breathed for 20 minutes before tasting...

[Willie JJ]

Lagavulin 16yo

Nose: smoked fish and kelp. Salt spray on the wind. Tarry rope on the quay. Pure bloody magic really.
Palate: The unexpected sweetness of the malt still gets me after all these years (and bottles). The tar and iodine come through it though and then the glow of the peat fire in the background.
Finish: The fire just comes through and takes the chill off your bones. Like sitting in a smoky old bar with a peat fire drinking a fine malt. Perfect.

Again! Again!

[pkt77242]

Starting the night with a freshly bought Laga 16, bottled 08.

N: Smoke and a little peat. Smells fairly sweet, maybe some dried red fruit. Also a salty tang.
P: starts of dry and salty with some nice smoke. Then starts getting pretty sweet with rhubarb, and a little sherry flavor.
F: very sweet with some smoke

Definitely sweeter than I remember. Still good but different.


Sean

[mikeymad]

Lagavulin 12yo Special Release OB b-2005 57.7%

This fresh bottle has a slightly more forward powerful presentation than the same expression I finished up a month or so ago...

The 12 Comes off with a very fresh character on the nose. With Grass, cut grass, and pepper with hints of Lemon as well. The first taste is a burner. It lights up with pepper, peat and the lemon. This is followed with a light since of smoke... Nothing drastic just in the background for me.

The Balance is good, run pretty hot, but I have added no water to it. It continues to burn a little bit sample after sample. But the sweetness and lemons comes through stronger as I continue. It does not stick around too long, but there is a since of grass and pepper than lingers for a while.

[mikeymad]

Lagavulin 12yo Special Release - 7th release - 56.4%

A Sample from the LA scotch club....

Peat and sugar are the first things that come to mind when I first start to work this beverage over in the glass. The hint of Lemon Grass comes in just after that. Seems lighter than the other 12yo I had. Fresh saltiness is in the background the entire time.

Wow, a big spicy, peat, sugar bomb on the palate... Nice and powerful. It works its way though pretty fast and you end up with a mellow spice for a little while.

[mikeymad]

Well that is all I have (can find).....

Will be looking for any other notes out here.... Thanks for all that posted.

Cheers,

[pkt77242]

I picked this up in Napa when I was there earlier this year as it is not available in AZ.

Lagauvlin 12yo special release 2004

Colour: pale gold, the colour of a nice chardoney

N: very peaty and smokey, grassy, seaweed, and fairly salty.
P: Peat explodes on the tastebuds. beef jerkey with an extra dash of salt. smoked fish. some hints of citrus and iodine.
F: Long and smokey, with some alcohol burn.

It is the unruly and boisterous younger brother of the 16 and DE.

Sean

[Ryguy]

Cheers everyone, great notes so far!!
I'm starting with the 16 OB.

Lagavulin 16yo ( 43%, Original Bottling )

Nose: Wood smoke, a whisp of leather and sherry sweetness

Palate: Very smooth, sweeter than I remember, the burnt wood comes through, then some iodine, salt, and peat

Finish: Long and very smooth, smoke lingers

Very nice dram, this is what got me started on single malts.