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Lagavulin 8 Year Old 200th Anniversary

Two Youngish Lagas - Part I

1 687

@talexanderReview by @talexander

2nd Feb 2017

1

Lagavulin 8 Year Old 200th Anniversary
  • Nose
    22
  • Taste
    21
  • Finish
    23
  • Balance
    21
  • Overall
    87

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

I don't often get a bunch of different Lagavulins in the house (though I have stored away the 1979 and 1980 DEs!), so let's try both the new 200th Anniversary 8 Year Old, and the new 2015 12 Year Old, and compare to the ubiquitous 16 Year Old.

The 8 Year Old was bottled as a bicentennial edition, and what's great about it is how relatively inexpensive it is. You would think a one-time bottling like this would be old and super-pricey, but it clearly was meant to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Bravo!

The colour is a very light straw. Funny I mention straw, since that's what you get on the nose (very dry), with bright lemon, chocolate mint and brine. Medicinal with iodine. A bit metallic. Of course, wafts of peat smoke. With water we get light honey, crisp cereal notes and more peat smoke. Classic Laga nose, though a bit too young.

On the palate the lemon slowly grows more prominent, with prickly peat, Rice Krispies and a bit too much salt (even more so with water). Peppery as well, though, and buttery. Like the nose, very nice (and more on the sweet side) but to be honest, could use more time in oak.

The finish is long, mouth-drying and developing with very light oak, cayenne pepper and more mint. This is a very bright, fresh Lagavulin, with the oak so light it almost jumps out of the glass. And no sherry in sight, as far as I can tell. A bit too young but it does work - an Islay for a summer afternoon. Far lighter than the 16, and lacking the rich fruity depth on the nose and palate; but the 8 sends that bright lemony peat smoke into the stratosphere.

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6 comments

@jeanluc
jeanluc commented

I'm very tempted to pick up a bottle of this, I like the younger Lagavulins and it comes with a reasonable(ish) price tag.

7 years ago 0

@jeanluc
jeanluc commented

Hopefully you will get an alert for this comment pray

7 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

@jeanluc Thank you, I did!

7 years ago 1Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@talexander @jeanluc I have found that this one settles quite nicely with some time in the open bottle and very, and I mean VERY, judicious addition of water. It drowns very easily. Give it a little time and I think you will find it improves considerably. Good B for the B too compared to the now very pricey 12 year old annual releases.

7 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

@BlueNote I should have mentioned that the bottle had been open since October 2016 before I reviewed it...and that was the last of it.

7 years ago 0

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@talexander Oh, that surprises me, but I think you are right on the money and 87 is a pretty appropriate score.

7 years ago 0