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Released to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of Lagavulin distillery by John Johnston in 1816, this eight-year-old is big and smoky, with sweet spice that becomes apparent with a drop of water. Inspired by the visit of Alfred Barnard to the distillery in the 1880s when he tried an 'exceptionally fine' eight-year-old from the distillery, this is a fitting tribute for the milestone.
Style
- Body
- Richness
- Smoke
- Sweetness
Character
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Black Pepper
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Orange
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Lemon
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Peach
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Smoke
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Tobacco
Lagavulin 8 Year Old Reviews
Tasting Notes
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Tasting Notes by Stuart P
Nose: Cracked black pepper and aromatic woodsmoke at first, then fresh notes of orange and lemon peel. Appealing aromas of bonfires, hot shells and a touch of smoked meat. A little water brings out aromas of peach and green apple.
Palate: More woodsmoke, plus crunchy oatmeal and honeyed fruit. Rich mouthfeel, with notes of tobacco, bonfire embers and a peppery, spicy note.
Finish: The soft peat and characterful woodsmoke lingers for a long time.
Comment: Classy and complex, this has less fruit than the regular 16 Year Old, but adds a delicious extra layer of smoke and bite.
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Producer's Tasting Notes
Nose: Immediately quite soft with clean, fresh notes, faint hints of milk chocolate and lemon and then developing fragrant tea-scented smoke alongside nose-drying, maritime aromas, with subtle cereal. A prickliness seen earlier now develops, while the trademark Lagavulin dryness emerges as fresh newsprint. Softly sooty. Softer, fuller and more rounded with water: it’s not hugely fruity but there’s just a trace of red berry preserve, perhaps, beneath the smokiness, which comes sharply into focus.
Body: Light, growing pleasantly oily.
Palate: A soothing light texture, with a magnificently full-on Lagavulin taste that’s somehow even bigger than you expect; sweet, smoky and warming, with a growing, smoky pungency, then dry, with more smoke. Charred, with minty, dark chocolate. Beautifully balanced mid-palate then salty, oven-charred baked potato skins and smoke. Water rounds things, the taste still mighty yet more succulent, sweeter, spicier and now tongue-tingling, mint-fresh and warming.
Finish: Lovely; clean, very long and smoky. Smoothly, subtle minted smoke surrounds chocolate tannins, leaving a late drying note to emerge in time. It’s warming, soft and still smoky with water, not as long or intense now, yet still leaving the palate dry as sweet smoke lingers on the breath.
32 Customer Reviews
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I never liked Lagavulin as much as it’s two neighbors on the south shore of Islay, with Ardbeg 10 being my favorite. For that reason, I never gave this stuff a second thought when it was first released at almost $100 a bottle. Now that this is an official Lagavulin bottling , and no longer a limited edition, it goes for $48 where I live. I figured I’d give it a shot. I’m happy I did. If you love Islay whisky, or good whisky in general you should too. While it is unmistakably Lagavulin, it has elements of both Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10. I like it much better than the 16.
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Stunning! Almost as great as the 16YO but with less brininess. Too bad it was a limited-edition release. Thank you Trader Joe's for carrying it in Seattle. I purchased their last two bottles!
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I like Lagavulin 16 but I'm not paying $100 here in Seattle for it. And frankly, there are other Islays I like more. Found this 8 year old at Trader Joes for about $55 including our taxes. I don't know. I like the look of this pale whiskey neat, but it's a bit hot at 48%. A bit of water gives it a cloudy unappealing look, but rounds out the flavors a bit. I think for the price I'd rather have Laphroaig, (my personal fav) and for a bit more I'll buy some Bowmore 12 if I'm in the mood for pepper above the brine of Laphroaig. Not sure I'll buy another bottle.
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As much as the glut of "special edition" scotches on the market seems to be hitting saturation, there are really good ones you can pick out of the fray of NAS bottles. This special edition at least has a relatively "youthful" age statement, and since Lagavulin is practically peerless, this scotch is not going to disappoint the typical Islay enthusiast. Peaty like the 16 year with less leather character, with more salty brininess up front. Delicious scotch and a worthy inclusion to a collection.
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Lagavulin is an absolute favourite of mine in terms of the distillery. The 16 deserves to sit on every shelf, worktop and/or desk of whisky lovers around the world. The distillers edition is incredible given the quality of the 16yr old. The 8yr old in my opinion is a disaster.....I find it almost undrinkable and a kin to an insufferable cousin to one of your best mates. You know they are related but apart from DNA you can find no other feature that makes them comparable. So disappointing and reserved for the wife's uncle who loves any old whisky (given the amounts he can drink)!! I may have a bad bottle but I doubt it...
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The depth of my tasting can hardly be compared to that of the producers tasting notes. I simply can not go that quite deep. I am a big fan of the 16 y.o and i must agree that the drip of water simply folds out the complexity of the fruity character hidden in the background. When the smoke and pepper have settled, you almost can touch the fruity essence. A couple of extra bottles can by all means be stored for the future if you have some spare room in your cellar.
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I prefer it to the 16yr Lagavulin! It's rich and peated to the right amount, but still preserves some freshness that the 16yr does not. I will certainly buy more of this one.
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VERY GOOD Islay whisky. Has a very similar taste to Ardbeg 10. Already one of my favorites.
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Punchier than the 16 year old, youthful and lovely level of smokiness. I am stocking up!
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Finally, Lagavulin character returns! After a recent band aid tasting 16yo which doesn't even remotely compare to the classic 16yo of yesteryear, I bought this in desperation to salvage the 16yo. By mixing the two in roughly equal proportion, the combination of 8yo and 16yo starts tasting complex, much like the old 16yo from the 1990s.
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New favourite
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Don't let the relative youth of this fool you into thinking it is not good. This release is just amazing, it managed to oust the 16yo from being my all time favourite. Slightly sharper on the smoke than the 16yo. Slightly sweeter too, with a hint of citrus. A pleasantly long finish too. Good thing I bought a couple of extra bottles of this limited edition release.
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First try on any Lagavulin , wasn’t crazy for it, too much wood smoke very barbecue like flavor but with that said maybe the 16 yo is better .
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Wonderful. I could drink this every day. All that peat, smoke, and fruit. A beautiful blend of flavors.
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At first I was uncertain, such a young Lagavulin did not inspire confidence. BUT its lightly sweet, well balanced and still has all the good stuff of a proper Lagavulin. I love it it.
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Great stuff. Much better than expected. Tastes more mature than just 8yo. I would love to see this as a permanent part of the core range. Smoke and spice and vanilla in perfect harmony.
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Fantastic whisky. I actually like it better than the 16 (48% helps.) Not as good as the 12 year, but at half the price it's a must try for any islay scotch lover. Ardbeg take notice; how about an affordable special release with an age statement? Probs lagavulin.
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If only Diageo would make all their releases craft offerings, no color or blasted chill-filtration, then I would buy them by the bottle and not just a single dram to see what they're about, and buying a signatory release.
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a lot smoother than I thought it might be- I expected smoke, fire, and green grass- but its much rounder and smoother.
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Sweet, citrus /acidic pear fruits, an increasing briney seaweed sensation, followed up with a great, deep smokey finish. Wonderfully balanced composure, with full throttle flavors the whole way. Wow!
