Diageo’s ‘Distiller’s edition’ series features the basic versions of Classic Malts finished in different casks (sherry, generally) for some time. Lagavulin is no exception, so it’s a 16 year old finished for a few months in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks: we haven’t been particularly impressed by other D.E. in the past, but we want to test Lagavulin’s as well, which are notoriously difficult to ‘spoil’. This is the second version, bottled in 2003; the colour is dark amber.
N: the sherry finish is evident, as well as it is a Pedro Ximenez: that well-known ‘tomato juice/worchester sauce’ note, typical of PX (at least to our nose) here transfigures, in contact with Lagavulin’s massive peat, into something curious, halfway between the leather and an intense but abstract suggestion of cooked vegetables (onion, celery). The smoke remains a bit buried, but lively: licorice, on the other hand, is beautifully present, together with strong doses of barrel wood. The profile of the whisky, which is not a monster of complexity, is completed by a bit of red fruits, whose sharpness is attenuated by some salty and marine hints. Cinnamon.
P: Lagavulin’s soul is safe, but barely. The attack is of intense sweetness (licorice, burnt jam, caramel), then coffee and cinnamon. Smoked tea. Then marine and smoked notes (grilled fish) emerge; bacon. We note the absence of red fruits, perhaps consistently with the type of sherry. Dried figs.
F: the bitterness of the wood dominates, then more coffee, bacon, salty notes.
Actually, not bad. In our opinion, it’s the best version of the Distiller’s Edition series: Lagavulin doesn’t let himself get ruined even by the very sickly Pedro Ximenez. The tight battle between opposites is won by the distillery, and our opinion will be 86/100.
Recommended soundtrack: The Zombies – Time of the season.
