I’m following Lagavulin 16 every year, which is actually totally useless, since I always find it very good (it always strikes 90+ in my book). But we stop at nothing… It’s also the whisky I’m always having when in bars or restaurants. We’ll try to be quick, but this baby usually chats a lot… Colour: dark gold. Nose: what the… did it improve? I’m finding it brighter, fresher, a tad fruitier and zestier than usual, with mandarins on top of the leather, tobacco, tar, walnuts, and smoked tea. And salmiak. Immediate pleasures. Mouth: same feeling, it’s a little sweeter, perhaps, with touches of oranges, then liquorice, olives, lime, lemon balm, and just a touch of green pepper. Leather. Some salt starts to play with your lips. Finish: pretty long, earthier, with some pu-erh tea, liquorice, and just a touch of some kind of smoked caramel. Salt and lime in the aftertaste, a bit ‘margarita’. Comments: faultless as ever. I would go to 90.5, should I be mad enough to do halves
Gal Granov (93)
Nose: Smoke. Pepper. BBQ. Salt and brine. Peat and leather. Cereals. Iodine. a Perfect nose, no more and no less. Islay on a tray. and no wonder this is a favourite of so many whisky aficionados.
Palate: Peppery peat with sweet BBQ smoke. Leather and gum. Dry and ashy too with a lot of Cinnamon gum.
Finish: Dry. Peppery. With lots of leftover BBQ smoke & BBQ sauce. Long and rewarding.
Perfect. for this price, it’s one of the best peated whiskies on the planet.Period.
