Lagavulin 30 y.o.

52.6% abv

Score:  93.5/100

From Islay’s most esteemed distillery comes one of the best older whiskies I’ve ever tried from this peat mecca of an island:  Lagvulin 30 year old.

A whisky nearly as old as I, but infinitely more charming and certainly better looking, this is a dram to dream about.

The thing is…there are no real surprises here.  The magic is in the incredible composition of this malt.  Each nuance works to compliment the whole, and the whole is simply unbelievable.  This is no subtle shading of degrees (how can it be, deriving as it does from Islay)…it is more like bold slashings of colour a la Jackson Pollack.  Irrespective…this is art.

Nose:  Creamy.  Peach and fire-toasted marshmallow.  Herbal dried leafy notes.  White chocolate.  Some more borderline-tropical fruit notes.  Hint o’ mint.  Paint.  Distant ebbings of peat and subtle clean smoke.

Palate:  Smoky.  Ashy and kinda drying.  Peach again.  Oak is singing here.  Spiced bread dough-ish.  Beautifully mellowed creamy fruits.

Thoughts:  Truly a stunner of a dram.  Possibly…probably…once in a lifetime.  Still so Lag…but sooooo refined.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt