Diageo Cask of Distinction Lagavulin 1991 Aged 30 Years 【吳】#5399

Style: Sweet and Dignified

Rating: ☆☆+ [Highly Recommended]

Nose:

Vibrant peppermint sending high and low waves in, transporting tobacco leaves, acrylic, cooked yellow fruits, dry chillies, iodine drops, dried figs and a touch of cocoa powder. The aroma is very integrated and complex. Followed by deeper layers of walnuts and pencil shavings, nutmeg and brown sugar converge and precipitate. Honey-infused peat smoke is gradually released at the back. Delicate menthol wavering in the air, whereas red fruits blossom and give a beautiful and tantalising finale to it.

Palate:

Interesting, the sweetness becomes more prominent than I expected. Leading light sherry notes closely accompanied by honey aloe vera on one side and dandy peat smoke on another. Chocolate brittles surrounded by smoked tea leaves, glazed apricots, liquorice and coffee candy. Grassy spice and peppermint resurface. Fresh orange citrus, strawberries and figs jump in, while toffee and sugar almonds giving a nice and round finish to it.

Finish:

The airiness of menthol lingers, bitter undertone sleight of hand, a shallow citrus-tropical brush. A delicate sherry conclusion, soft and sweet.

Thoughts:

I feel quite blessed to be able to taste a whisky, Lagavulin above all, at this calibre in 2023. To be honest, especially in the past three years, modern bottlings quite often deliver more hype than substance. Yes, the golden era has passed. And now, to have such a wonderfully amalgamated expression in my hands - the peated spirit, sherry influence and oak all orbiting into the resonance zone, creating a sense of pureness in complexity, elegantly vibrant and it is just simply exquisite. Love it.

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[45.5% | Distillery Bottling | 1991 Distilled | 2021 Bottled | Cask Number: 5399 | 482 Bottles | First-fill PX/ Oloroso-seasoned European Oak (Cream Cask) | Cask Strength | **+]

Originally published on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my.whisky.journal/p/Co4hwUqySvi/