Lagavulin Distillers Edition (2023, USA)

Though it's my least favorite of the Lagavulin Power Trio (16, 12 CS, and DE) each year, I'm always up for trying the Distillers Edition. To my palate, its PX casks smother almost all of the Lagavulin goodness. But it's never a bad whisky.

And though it's never had an official age statement, the DE always had a vintage listed, as well as the release year, on its label. It was 16-18 years old, until 2020 it dropped to a 14-15yo. That lasted only one more year, and then in 2022 Diageo removed the vintage, the bottling year, and the batch number from the packaging. Now it's an NAS thing.

That certainly doesn't inspire confidence in someone who's struggled with the whisky in the past. But I did pick up a bottle as part of a Lagavulin event at Columbus Scotch Night this year. Luckily I was able to spot a bottle code. Of course I didn't take a picture of it, and just wrote down "2023". Useful!

Distillery: Lagavulin

Owner: Diageo
Region: Southern Islay
Maturation: bourbon casks first, then Pedro Ximenez casks

Age: NAS, so 3 years minimum

Bottling year: 2023
Alcohol by Volume: 43%

Chillfiltered? Yes
e150a? Yes

(from the bottom third of my bottle)

NOTES

Notes of coal smoke, metal, and wet sheep mix with almond butter, dried cherries, and mint candy in the nose. After 30ish minutes, orange peels and dried oregano join in.

The palate is sweeter than the nose leads one to anticipate, but it's not as sweet as some earlier bottlings. Loads of sea salt and mild peat balance out the dried currants and dried pineapple. A little bit of grape jam and limes appear later, but the salt never backs off.

It finishes with smoky dark chocolate, tart limes, dried pineapple, and all that salt.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

"My favorite Laga DE?" is at the bottom of my handwritten notes. Perhaps it's just me. I finally gave up expecting a whisky similar to its Lagavulin siblings, and just accepted it on its own terms. The salt and fruit work together, and the PX doesn't separate from the malt. I would absolutely drink this again, though I'd still take the 16 (which is cheaper) and the 12 CS (which is not) first, but the enthusiasm gap isn't as wide as before. That's a win.

Availability - Wherever fancier people buy single malts
Pricing - Europe: $85-$160 w/o tax; Japan: $100-$130; and USA: $120-$160 w/o tax

Rating - 86