Lagavulin 16 Years Old 1998 (Single Cask Sample)

52.4% ABV

Score: 89/100

What they say:

Lagavulin Distillery Warehouse Tasting Sample #2

What we say:

Our second cask sample from the Warehouse Tasting at Lagavulin Distillery was distilled in 1998 and matured in a 2nd fill Bodega Sherry cask for 16 years. Sampled straight from the cask at a strength of 52.4% ABV.

Colour:

Gold

Nose:

Warm hay, oranges and lots of cereal barley malt, a little roast pork bbq smoke

Taste:

Oily, barley malt, sweet and fruity orange and ginger marmalade plus a slightly sour grapefruit pith and tingling spearmint before salty meaty bbq smoke

Finish:

Malt, smoke and cleansing spearmint, quite long

Would I buy it:

Absolutely! This is a cask strength equivalent to the standard Lagavulin 16 year old expression. Light on the sherry influences and much more malty than smoky. Again that lactic/hay aroma and flavour are very abundant though the bbq smoke and meatiness definitely takes over on the palate in this expression. The light influence of the 2nd fill sherry cask allows more of the spearmint/vaporous flavours to be revealed.