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I purchased one of the last bottles on the shelf at one of my local whisky purveyors. I can't seem to find the accurate amount, but apparently 20,000 were distributed outside of Scotland. I've regretted not buying the Laphroiag 15 when it was a limited release last year and I did not want a repeat experience.
First off, Why 8? seems odd right? Well, Lagavulin went with a story for this whisky, it seems that a whisky writer, Alfred Barnard, sampled a Lagavulin 8 year in 1886 and gushed over it in his book of distilleries of the UK...200 years later, Lagavulin sought to capatilize on this
Appearance - light in color, does not look caramel colored, but it is Diageo
48% ABV
Nose - fresh, grassy, slightly citric, peat smoke, phenol
taste - citric notes, grassy smokiness, intense, very little to no cask influence
I quite enjoyed this whisky, however it is not very comparable to the Lagavulin 16 and I feel it helps to know this to allow yourself to not have a preconceived notion...personally, it reminded me of the independent bottlings of Caol Ila 10 year I've sampled recently or even a Port Charlotte...there is a freshness in this 8 year that I enjoy, but if you really look for cask interaction, you may be disappointed, this is a spirit dominated bottling,
Price $54.99 USD
@Shmotch
I had that whisky already and I found it quite limited in quality. It is not comparable with the 16yo or the Distillers' Edition at all. Yesterday I had the new 12yo for tasting. The video will appear over the holiday season. I found that bottle a lot better but it is also a lot more expensive.
Why eight years? Well I think that they just shortened their row for another 4 years. 16-12-8.
Will they offer a NAS whisky next year? I think they won't dare to write four years on the label.
Thank you for the feedback. I am reading between the lines that you feel Lagavulin preferred to do a younger release and "backed" into the story out of convenience and to lend a romantic literary marketing appeal. I await your review of the 12, one of my fellow whisky enthusiasts has been keeping a 2011 release 12 year on his shelf, to be opened in 2017, from what I understand the 12 is actually the best of the lot...cheer!
@Shmotch
I did not buy the 8yo Lagavulin as for me the reviews showed me that it was anything like a 16yo for me is a master-work and so complex. So a Lagavulin without the complexity would be losing something. But then some people love the 8yo.
I have a 2008 12 yo Lagavulin at home. Don't dare to open it as some people pay a lot for them now and they will increase in price with age. So I will try to get a later bottling instead to open
Although I do agree that Lagavulin 8yr doesn't have the caliber and complexity of his older brother, I still think that it is a very fine dram. Remember, it's natural color (despite saying otherwise on the box) and comes at 48% ABV.
I applaud Lagavulin for having the courage to give it a 8 years age statement instead of going for NAS. Bottlings like this and Glendronach 8yr Hielan set the counterpoint to the flood of immature whiskies without age statements.
In many regards, Lagavulin 8yr is a 'light version' of the 12-year-old bottling at cask strength (special releases). It's very reminiscent of Ardbeg 10yr and given its moderate price tag, it's worth a try!
“That's what I do. I drink, and I know things.” (Tyrion Lannister)
>>> Whisky reviews by Slàinte Mhath <<<
@SlàinteMhath
I tasted the 8yo Lagavulin before new year. It was for me very similar to the Bunnahabhain Moine. And no colouring as the colour were lighter than usual.
Not many does like Lagavulin and put out an age statement below ten years old. Benromach leads with their 5 yo
I haven't tried the 8 year old. Is the 8 worth buying considering its price relative to the 16 year old?
Well, in Norway Lagavulin 8yr costs about 15% less than the 16-year-old expression. I rated the latter one 4.5/5.0 and the 8-year-old bottling 4.0/5.0. Bottom line, it's not as good as the 16-year-old, but if you like the 12-year-old Cask Strength 'special release', you will probably enjoy it. How are prices in the US?
“That's what I do. I drink, and I know things.” (Tyrion Lannister)
>>> Whisky reviews by Slàinte Mhath <<<
@SlàinteMhath
The 8 year old is running about 30% less than the 16 year old in my area ($70 vs. $100). I do commend Diageo for the age statement. I guess I would be better served to judge the 8 on its own merits rather than thinking of it as the little brother of the 16. A price of $70 for a good malt is not bad.
@SlàinteMhath
In Sweden I think that the the 8yo and the 16 yo cost the same when it was sold. However the 12yo cost 60% more than the 16yo.
At the age of eight the Lagavulin is a bit like other younger whiskies from Islay. For me it need at least four more years to get the Lagavulin characteristics.But it is interesting to be able to try the various ages over one year.
@Shmotch I found this bottling for $54.99 USD at a local retailer, almost bought it, but research revealed that it was chill-filtered. My hard earned money is what I can use to let the industry, especially giants like Diageo, know what I consider worth spending so much money on. I know that the study Horst did state that I wouldn't know the difference between un chill-filtered and chill-filtered, but I would rather support a distillery that gives me pure whisky, as it comes naturally. We're not all Keepers of the Quaich, so our influence in the industry is through our "second vote" of who gets our money.