Back in the 1880s, Alfred Barnard, author of The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, enjoyed an eight-year-old Lagavulin he described as "exceptionally fine". As part of their 200th anniversary celebrations, the distillery therefore decided to recreate said eight-year-old! It's bottled at an exciting 48% ABV and was matured in refill European and American oak casks.
This bottle was part of a private collection - if you'd like more detailed photos just get in touch!
Salted popcorn, honey-roasted nuts, tarry ropes and light hints of freshly-chopped cedar. A touch of burnt sugar sweetness lingers.
Smokey peat appears first on the palate, followed by coriander seed, barley sugar, cumin powder, smoked kipper and marzipan.
Layers of apple crumble, toasted almond and ash. Another kick of cooking spices right at the end.
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It is delightful, I was gifted a bottle after tasting it at a friends. I shall keep it for 18 years and enjoy even the more
To keep the review part somewhat short... ish, this is good, this is very good. It manages to offer everything Lagavulin's 16 year old offers, along with some actual strength behind the palate of smoke and medicine. I will add however (which is why I'm only giving it 4.5 stars) that it can be a bit too "raw" from time to time. Adding a bit of water fixes that, and shows what a Lagavulin could've been. Now that brings me on to why I'm even typing any of this. This bottling is 8 years old. 8 years, half of their regular bottling of 16 years. Once you add a few drops of water, this manages to offer more, and in a far more pleasant way, than the 16 year old standard bottling. What the heck... I can't even... words! This is what makes me wish Lagavulin would dare to offer more 'down to earth' bottlings, and offer directly from cask. A properly refined islay monster is hidden within, they're just too afraid to show it. To which I say, unleash the beast!
Absolutely awful, smelled like hospital cleanser. Tasted like a combination of cheap cough medicine, TCP, Dettol and Corvonia. Required me to clean teeth and use Listerine to kill aftertaste. Don't know if this sample was tainted but if not, could not recommend it.
smell gasolina
Smells like kerosene, uncomfortably peaty on the palate and not at all enjoyable. Lag 16 has a very nice balance of peat and flavor. This is nowhere close. Don't waste your money like I did. 0 stars.
