Lagavulin 25 Year Old 200th Anniversary Scotch Whisky 700mL

Lagavulin 25 Year Old (200th Anniversary) was released in 2016 as part of the celebrations for the distillery s anniversary, and lists all the managers over that time on the bottle. It s aged exclusively in Sherry casks, and released at cask strength. 8000 bottles worldwide.

Colour: Rich dark golden amber, the rusty depths of autumn.

Nose: Powerful, rich, deep, and lively. There s deep chocolaty raisin notes amongst spadefuls of rich smoked fruitcake (Why can t I get one of those? That d be amazing!). The peat is very much tamed here, to more of a relaxing evening ember of a dying fire by the sea. Sweet cured bacon notes pop out at you. Old waxed antique oak in the background.

Palate: Massively thick and oily, it s surprisingly easy going and smooth, although the Sherry oak spices start to build soon enough. There s sweet fruitcake notes, but also an underlying freshness too. After all the years of aging there are still glorious malty tones all over your palate which soon show a slow and respectful peaty smokiness underlining everything. There s almost a rich tingle on your tongue.

Finish: The finish is all about balanced sweetness and savoury, there s hints of bacon and syrup along with gentle heathery smoke. The coastal influence at this point fairly minimal, with just a slight saltiness at the end. No tannin overload here, and no spice overload either, some slight coal embers and a hint of oak at the end.