Lagavulin 8 Years Old
2024-05-19
Smell
We are greeted by a true chasm of smoke. A cold campfire is enveloped by charcoal and a slight medicinal touch. Overall, we find a cold smoke profile with hints of seaweed and seawater. You have to get through this wall first. But with enough time, the typical bourbon cask aromas develop. Primarily citrus – joined by grainy notes of oats and a hint of vanilla. Subtle tones of oak and mandarins round out the nose.
Taste
On the palate, the malt unfolds its cold smoke. It develops a creamy mouthfeel with an intriguing note reminiscent of pan-fried mushrooms. There’s also a wonderful maritime quality of seaweed, seawater, and a certain mineral component. The palate then becomes nutty. We find burnt hazelnuts and a hint of roasted almonds.
Finish
The finish is long and carried by the smoke, which surprisingly becomes somewhat warming here. We still have the maritime aroma of sea salt, now accompanied by oak, the citrus note we had on the nose, and a slightly earthy sheath.
Thoughts
It may be easy to expect a “little sibling” variant of Lagavulin 16 here. But at the end of the day, Lagavulin 8 holds its own despite being half the age. The approach is more peat forward due to the cask selection, and we get the familiar Lagavulin smoke profile, presented with the classic idea of Islay seawater. A high-quality and tasty malt that is not a “cheap substitute,” but an independent and recommendable bottling of a Classic Malt.
Rating: 83/100 - Excellent (Marcel: 83 | Sascha: 82)
Value for Money: 4/5 - Good
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