Whisky felling #3. Lagavulin: There and Back Again: Lagavulin 16 yo (bottled 2015) 43%, Lagavulin 16 yo (bottled 2008) 43%, Lagavulin 16 yo White Horse (bottled 2-nd half of 90s) 43%, Lagavulin 16 yo White Horse (bottled 1988 -1994) 43%, Lagavulin 25 yo 1977/2002 57.2%

Second Lagavulin tasting in row though with a bit different idea: we took 4 different 16 yo bottles from 4 different decades and added old 25 yo release. 

The whole line-up as follows:

Lagavulin 16 yo (bottled 2015) 43% - modern version (bottle code L5048CM0000). 

Nose: dry one with lots of tobacco. 

Taste: also dry. We have some peat and salt here, but none of this classic power and oiliness. 

Finish: peat and salt.

Overall: initially it was more or less ok with score of appr. 84/100 - 85/100, but when we returned to this one after 30 min we found no nose at all! Some mashy notes appeared. It is more or less ok when you open young cask strength malt and give it time to breathe, but vice versa situation indicates that in this particular batch very few sherry casks were used or they were too tired, aroma lasted for 10-15 min and then went away for good. Sad enough. Score reduced... 

Score = 20 20 20 20, 80/100!

Lagavulin 16 yo (bottled 2008) 43% - bottle code L8016CM000. 

Nose: much fruitier and oilier, spicy and nutty, that's what we were seeking for! Even some honey and flowers after 20 min, it keeps developing. 

Taste: classic oily arrival on sea, fruits and peat. 

Finish: long, peaty, peppery and salty.

Overall: very typical Lagavulin for us as we mostly started Malt journey 10 years ago with this type of Lagavulin. 

Score = 22.5 22 22 22.5, 89/100!

Lagavulin 16 yo White Horse (bottled 2-nd half of 90s) 43% - crown instead of a boat, "White horse" stated down on the label and Isla 1816 written in glass indicates it was bottled in the 2-nd half of 90-s.

Nose: more oils, cream and fruits here comparing to 2008, liquorice and pepper, almost no peat, but coal instead. We have hypothesis that for these very Lags bottled end of 90-s the barley was made on mainland (Port Ellen maltings launched only at the end of 80-s), so there probably was used also coal for barley drying which eventually made its effect on the nose.

Taste: fresh and salty. Also not much peat here on the contrary to modern 16 yo. Adult and calm would be right words, it doesn't need to prove anything.

Finish: fresh and salty with hints of grass, menthol and seaweed.

Overall: really different from a modern version, the main wow is its freshness and coal smoke instead of a peat one.

Score = 23 22 22 23, 90/100!

Lagavulin 16 yo White Horse (bottled 1988 -1994) 43% - crown instead of a boat, "White horse" stated down on the label and Isla 1816 painted with gold indicate bottling period of appr. 1988 - 1994.

Nose: gosh.... fruity and waxy notes dominate at the very beginning. Is it Clynelish?.. Also you can get white pepper, eucalyptus, old vegetable shop flavours... Peat was absent at first, but after 10 minutes some gentle layer arrives. For these Lags barley might have been made on a distillery, can we consider it as a reference Lagavulin?.. Wet grass, seeds and touches of resin. Lives in the glass for ages. Stunning nose.

Taste: elegant, salty, peaty and very oily. Liquorice and pepper.

Finish:  long, peppery and fruity with touch of tobacco.

Overall: really stunning Lagavulin, my favourite tonight so far.

Score = 23.5 22 23.5 23, 92/100!

Lagavulin 25 yo 1977/2002 57.2% - I guess that was the first official Lagavulin over 20 yo. 

Nose: complicated, oily, resinous, no peat here. Touch of grapes juice after 15 min. 

Taste: concentrated, salty and smoky. Typical liquorice. But quite simple. 

Finish: long one due to high strength, peppery, salty and spicy. 

Overall: perplexed with this one. The nose is nice, but no such development as in White horse 16 yo. Palate is ok when you add water. Let's say I'm not so excited as I would like to be. New Lagavulin 25 yo 1991/2016 is much better to me. 

Score = 22 21 22 21, 86/100!

And finally I introduce small video combining our meeting and Ian McArthur interview: