Lagavulin Jazz Festival 2017

Lagavulin is great, jazz is great. But there isn't any actual jazz in the bottle (unless you really want to get abstract). And frankly I'd rather be out in the world writing about jazz festivals than being cooped up inside, drinking whisky samples by myself. Aside from a flooded muddy adventure in New Orleans last year, I've never actually been to a jazz festival. Is whisky really the best drug for such an event? I picture a multitude of stumbles over to the porta potties.

Let's see what people think of the whisky. MAO and Angus give it a 90. The whiskybase community says 88.19 and Thjs scores it 87. That's promising!

Distillery: Lagavulin

Owner: Diageo
Region: Islay
Maturation: Refill American oak hogsheads + Refill European oak butts

Age: ?
Release date: 2017
Outturn: 6,000 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 57.6%

Chill-filtration? Probably not
Caramel coloring? Probably not

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is very herbal and a little grungy, with raw peated spirit, baby-Talisker-style mezcal and raw cocoa. Nectarines, limes and brown sugar drift around the edges, and something fishy swims in the background. The palate is much hotter than the nose. It's also sweet with straightforward peat smoke. Lots of limes and canned fruit cocktail. Some bitter herbs and tart cherries are in the mix as well. It finishes tangy, tart and hot, with smoke, peppercorns and ocean notes.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose softens up and gains more beach notes. Think seaweed, sand and grilled shellfish with lemon juice. The palate picks up smoked meat and a bright bitterness, along with lemons, sugar, peat and fresh herbs. It finishes with bitter herbs and lots of smoke. Sugar and cracked pepper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This reads even younger than the official eight year old, placing it right around the style of all those infant anonymous "Islays". That doesn't make it bad, it's just surprisingly raw, and neither unique nor terribly fascinating when neat. Diluting it helps considerably, bringing out a fresh oceanside character. When lining it up with the rest of this week's Lagavulins, I found it to be the one in which I was least interested. The Lagavulin competition is tough.

Availability - Secondary market

Pricing - ???
Rating - 85 (when diluted)

Lagavulin Distillery Exclusive 2017

Lagavulin has issued two distillery exclusive bottlings, one in 2017 and one in 2018. They must have heard I had visited in 2016. The 2017 and 2018 had different maturation mixes and different ABVs and different outturns, but they both were missing an age statement. The 2017 has the better community rating on Whiskybase, as well as an 89-point ratings from MAO and Angus. But I don't know, those two fellas are so optimistic about the state of things...

Distillery: Lagavulin

Owner: Diageo
Region: Islay
Maturation: ???

Age: ?
Release date: 2017
Outturn: 7,500 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.1%

Chill-filtration? Probably not
Caramel coloring? Maybe

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Lots of fruit (apples, lemons and pineapples) on the nose, followed by eucalyptus and cinnamon. The peat moves from a mossy note over to bonfire embers over the course of 30 minutes. There are also some rosemary, maple fudge and minerally white wine notes. The palate is the sweetest of this week's four Lagavulins. Pineapple and brown sugar meets tart citrus. Moderate heat and peat smoke. After a while, the palate develops notes of dried thyme and a salty meatiness (or a meaty saltiness). It finishes sweet and salty, with a mix of cigar and wood smokes, and a blend of dried herbs.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose becomes a little farmier, and the smoke style moves closer to the kiln. It's also gets brinier with time. And that's about it. It has lost all its other characteristics. Less sweetness on the palate now. Lemon juice and a pinch of salt, a tiny bit of berry jam and some more bitterness. Tangy berries and bitter smoke in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This is probably best at full strength, as dropping it down to 48%abv seems to neuter it. It's a good warm drink when neat, perhaps close to a dessert Lagavulin. Or at least it's more casual than the 12yo CS. Though I liked this whisky a lot, I'm not disappointed that I missed out on a full bottle because (the last time I checked) the standard 16 year old tops it.

Availability - Secondary market

Pricing - ???
Rating - 87 (neat only, loses several points once diluted)

Lagavulin 12 year old Cask Strength (2016 release)

Trigger warning: Some of the following sentences may be interpreted as being complimentary towards Diageo.

Of the three famous Kildalton distilleries, Diageo's Lagavulin seems to be the only one that's serious about maintaining product quality. The other two focus instead on quantity. Beam Suntory's Laphroaig has taken one of Earth's best distillates and buried it under countless cask types and combinations thereof, creating more and more and more products. LVMH's Ardbeg has fully embraced the strange burden of creating a new limited edition whisky every year with a dumb story and a dumber name while not actually matching the muscle and depth of their standard range.

Lagavulin does have a special release or three each year but they're always a simple combo of bourbon and/or sherry casks. Like Laphroaig, Lagavulin releases an annual full-powered bourbon cask age stated release. And though the Lagavulin CS is 40-50% pricier than the Laphroaig, I've found it to be much more consistent. And better. With all this in mind, I've chosen to review four Lagavulins this week, leading up to Mathilda's 6th birthday on Friday, starting with one of the 12-year-old cask strength editions.

Distillery: Lagavulin

Owner: Diageo
Region: Islay
Maturation: refill American oak casks

Age: minimum 12 years
Release date: 2016
Outturn: ??,???
Alcohol by Volume: 57.7%

Chill-filtration? Probably not
Caramel coloring? Probably not

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Kind of a baked peat in the nose, at first, but then it switches to a seaweed character that moves to the fore. Then raw cocoa, rosemary, parmesan and smoked paprika. After 30+ minutes the cigarettes show up, followed by soil, brown sugar and orange peel. Bunches of lemons and buckets of minerals in the palate. There's also yuzu, grapefruit, tart kiwi, salt and very heavy kiln smoke. That same kiln note leads the lengthy finish and is joined by a little bit of savoriness, grapefruits and pineapple.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose becomes much fruitier. Apples, pineapples and green grapes. Some flower blossoms. The peat goes to the ocean. Like the nose, the palate gets cuddlier. It's sweeter with papaya and pineapple notes, which is in turn balanced by a moderate bitter smoke. The finish also keeps the sweetness, tartness, bitterness and smoke in tune.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Lagavulin is one of the rare distilleries whose official bottlings top anything offered by the indies. None of the "undisclosed Islays" I've tried have come anywhere near the quality of the Lagavulin 12yo CS batches. And yes, the 2016 batch is another winner. I was hesitant to move it into 90-point range, but its mix of fruit and salt and smoke is outstanding. Again. Lagavulin starts the week strong.

Availability - This edition is probably sold out

Pricing - more recent batches are $100-$170, depending on the country or state
Rating - 90

Benriach 34 year old 1968 Duncan Taylor, cask 2592

Firstly, many many thanks to Jordan who generously provided this sample, like a half decade ago (at least). Please see his review here.

One often has to go to the independent bottlers to find an unedited Benriach. The vast majority of official Benriach releases (no matter the batch size) are from a mix of casks. Today's 34 year old Duncan Taylor is from a single bourbon cask. And judging by its tint it was not re-racked into a zippier barrel.

Wednesday's Benriach on the left, today's on the right

That's one of the lightest colored 30+ year old whiskies I've seen a long time. That's a great sign! Probably.

Distillery: Benriach
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Series: Rare Auld
Region: Speyside (Lossie)
Age: 34 years (November 1968 - June 2003)
Maturation: bourbon cask (I think)
Cask number: 2592
Outturn: 125 bottles, and this was bottle #1!
Alcohol by Volume: 48%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Coloring? No

(sample from Mr. CocktailChem, see above)

NOTES

The nose is full of limes, citrons, minerals and plenty of barley. To my surprise, charcoal smoke drifts beneath the fruits. There's a gentle dunnage note, followed by moments of pineapple and ginger beer. 45 minutes later some fennel and peppery smoke appear. Lots of fruit in the palate as well. Think kiwi, lychee and nectarines. A little bit of butterscotch, a little bit of bitterness. It's increasingly tangy, slightly perfume-y,  and never too sweet. Though it does sweeten up in the finish. At first it was like liquefied Kasugai candies, but then the tart limes roll in, followed by some mild tannins.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I think I prefer this Benriach slightly over the official 25. Though it has kept its youthful barley heart, I like the feel of the old cask, especially in the nose. Or is it because I knew the whisky was 34 years old when I sipped it? The nose holds the most complexity, balancing the fruits, smoke, grains and staves the best. I didn't add water because the whisky read nicely at this strength and (again possibly influenced by my knowledge of the age statement) it felt like it would crumble when diluted. The thing about this Rare Auld series is it reminds me of the days when......aw damn it, I'm feeling nostalgic. I'd better stop while I'm ahead. Good whisky.

Availability - Sold out long ago
Pricing - ???
Rating - 88

Benriach 27 year old 1984, cask 1052

I can't believe I still have samples left from whiskysamples.eu. Man, I miss that site. Anyway, this single cask was released by the Billy Walker regime back when they were still partying through hundreds of long-aged casks leftover from the Seagram's era. Finishing an old whisky, especially a peated whisky, in a PX cask doesn't seem like a good idea but for some reason Billy Walker's crew knew how to do it better than anyone. So I have faith. This time.

Distillery: Benriach
Ownership: BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd
Age: 27 years old (1984 - July 2012)
Maturation: Primary - Bourbon cask (a guess). Secondary - Pedro Ximénez cask (listed). Length of time for each unknown.
Region: Speyside (Lossie)
Alcohol by Volume: 50.7%
Cask #: 1052
Bottle count: 258
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Coloring? No
(Sample purchased from the old whiskysamples.eu 😢)

NOTES

Wave after wave of seaweed and bonfire smoke roll up from the glass, then band-aids and sturdy shitkickers. The enormous nose continues with chocolate, mint, soil, peaches and almond extract. The palate begins similarly with dense herbal peat and bitter smoke. A little bit of grape jam and a lot of orange creamsicle. It has that, er, "hops" note so prevalent in the 21yo Authenticas. More savoriness, dried herbs and limes arrive with time. That herbal peat and smoke meet up sweet limes and oranges in the finish, followed by subtler notes of plums and nutty sherry.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Much gigundous fabulosity. More words? It seems like an old Laphroaig in the nose, then becomes pure well-aged peated Benriach in the palate with an excellent balance that continues on into the finish. After being fully engaged with the experience during the tasting and as the finish continued on and on, I pondered how exactly this was crafted, and why a result of this quality isn't seen more often. I hold no illusions that it is easy to create a whisky like this, but it is possible. There is a path. And finding gems like these make this whole whisky diversion worthwhile. More please.

Availability - Sold out long ago
Pricing - ???
Rating - 91

Benriach 25 year old, 46.8%abv edition

Yet another tale of a whisky I was going to buy blindly as a self-treat, then hesitated, only to watch the price rise and the ABV dip. Normally I wouldn't seek out a whisky with a sizable portion of virgin oak maturation, but I've been a big fan of Benriach's cask management and blending teams. Well, at least when they were under Billy Walker's management. The Brown-Forman era has yielded mixed results. The first round of cask strength releases were disappointing, but the 12 year old Sherry Wood was a very positive surprise. Yet those whiskies are babies compared to this 25-year-old. So I don't know what to expect. I'm not a complete pessimist, I do hope this is very good so I can issue forth with PG-rated self abuse.

Distillery: Benriach
Ownership: BenRiach Distillery Company (Brown-Forman)
Region: Speyside (Lossie)

Age: at least 25 years

Maturation: sherry casks, bourbon casks and virgin oak casks

Alcohol by Volume: 46.8%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colored? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose begins with fresh peaches and nectarines, marasca syrup and amaretto. Then there's toffee pudding, vanilla fudge and musty old oak staves. A bit more heat to it than expected. Balancing out the palate's malty and fruity (lemons, limes and cherry lollipops) sweetness, are mild umami and salty waves. Smaller notes of ginger beer and musty casks in the background. Tart citrus and a zesty bitterness build with time. Tart citrus and toffee leadoff the finish. Later on there are notes of marshmallow fluff and roasted almonds.

DILUTED TO ~43%abv, or ½ tbl of water per 30mL whisky
No you don't want to do this. It's Tannin City.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Though this unpeated Benriach 25yo does not blast into the stratosphere like the peated 25yo, it's a very pleasant drinker with good balance and a little bit of complexity (when neat). And I'm not even going to complain about the price. "The hell you say," you say. Yes. It's on the lower pricing end of official 25 year old single malts and arrives with (possibly) the highest ABV of them all. If you do own a bottle, I recommend keeping its contents neat and enjoying it during the springtime.

Availability - Many European and American specialty retailers
Pricing - Europe: $175-$225; USA: $300-$400 (sad trombone)
Rating - 87 (neat)

Benrinnes 15 year old Flora & Fauna (bottled 2017)

And then there was Benrinnes. From 1974 until 2007, Benrinnes shared some similarities with its Diageo stablemate Mortlach. It had an unorthodox distillation process that resulted in more than two passes through the stills, resulting in a meaty and occasionally sulfurous malt that often found a popular home in sherry casks. As with Mortlach, Benrinnes can be quite lovely when aged in bourbon casks, where it ditches some of the darkness for a good dose of fruit. This Flora & Fauna, though, is 100% sherry cask. Which brings back to the first sentence. And then there was Benrinnes.

Distillery: Benrinnes
Region: Speyside (Moray)
Ownership: Diageo
Range: Flora and Fauna
Age: at least 15 years
Maturation: sherry casks
Bottling date: 2017
Alcohol by Volume: 43%
Chillfiltered? Yes
Caramel Colorant? Yes

NOTES
The nose is earthy and leafy with a bit of dunnage, something toasty, some wildflowers, a wet dog, maybe some limes and a lot of French onion soup. The palate makes less sense than the nose. There's plastic, sugar, burnt veg, generic tanginess, something industrial, plenty of umami and a Vegemite sandwich. The finish is similar to the palate with more metallic sulphur, umami and smoke. And a Vegemite sandwich.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
With a dirty-spirit-meets-dirty-casks style, this Benrinnes gets points for being its own ogre. It's plenty weird and none of the characteristics work together. It's less of a piece of industrial art and more like a watery puddle of robot vomit. It's also better than the Auchroisk. I don't understand it either. I think I'm done with the Flora & Fauna series forever.

Availability - Europe
Pricing - $50-$70, ex VAT
Rating - 72 (maybe, I don't know)