Review: Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1997

Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky

Origin: Lagavulin Distillery

Bottling: Diageo

ABV: 43%

Cost: £73.26 from Master of Malt [sold out]

What they say:

Double matured in Pedro Ximinez cask wood, this is a mellow Lagavulin, peat-rich, sweet and very more-ish.

Appearance

Golden treacle.

Nose

Intense peat and vanilla. A raisin sweetness checks the smoke. Iodine-edged peat and crisp, roasty malt. Satisfying and enticing.

Body

Full bodied and rich in texture.

Palate

A clear, grassy malt, then the peat lands – smoke filling the mouth. A very salty tang, the middle offers coffee, vanilla and fruit.

Finish

Incredibly long, even by Islay standards. Fruit, peat and long-lasting oak. Very chewable.

What I say:

It has been too long since we have sampled the wonderful Pedro Ximenex sherry (PX cask) finished Lagavulin Distillers Edition. This particular expression was distilled in 1997 and bottled 2013 making it around 16 Years Old (though officially it carries no age declaration) however it has spent a short while in PX casks to add layers to that lovely Lagavulin peaty character.

Colour:

Ruby amber (14/20), large & slow droplet tears leave medium legs

Nose:

Chlorine and swimming pools, peat smoke and seaweed, peach skin, leather, toffee, cocoa, coffee, red fruits; strawberry and raspberry, blackcurrant, a nice earthy peat, treacle & molassess, clove & allspice, bbq pork meat, medicinal, smoky and savoury

Taste:

Richly toffee’d, treacle, Parkin cake, gingerbread with cream, strawberry and blackcurrant, quite smooth on the palate, erthy peat, salt and iodine, liquorice, aniseed balls, allspice, clove, malty, damp/dank and mossy

Finish:

Long, malty toffee, charcoal and woody tannins

Overall:

We felt this wasn’t quite as overtly sherried as previous Lagavulin DE we have sampled, still a classic Lagavulin, there is a little PX influence but a lot of the good stuff is light or missing, the end result is a bit more mundane strawberries and cream than the usual fire and brimstone and it is a little oversweet.

Score: 85/100

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