Appearance

The Lagavulin The Distillers Edition comes in a standard shaped Scotch bottle, but the bottle has a brown opaque color to it. There is a green Lagavulin label at the front near the bottom. The whisky itself pours a bronze color.

Aroma

The moment the whisky starts to pour, it’s clearly a Lagavulin. A campfire smoke permeates the room immediately. Nosing the glass, a more distinct peat comes through, with caramel candies and cinnamon accents.

Flavor

The smokiness of the whisky comes through immediately, building to a peak in the middle of the sip, then fading. Some intense caramel candy and cinnamon spice establish as my palate adjusts. The caramel and cinnamon hits on the middle of the profile with a surprising amount of strength on the cinnamon. That flavor intensifies as the whisky progresses. Overall, there is a satisfying oily mouthfeel as well.

Balance

Initially, the smoke and peat is most dominant, but as my palate acclimates, the cinnamon starts to take over. The flavors find a nice harmony a few sips in.

Finish

The smoke is very light on the finish, and almost immediately gives way to the heat from the cinnamon.

Overall

Lagavulin The Distillers Edition is a smoky, spicy, sweet flavor combination that has a satisfying oily mouthfeel anchoring everything together. The question here is whether you would pick a Lagavulin 16 over The Distillers Edition. I would personally go for the Lagavulin 16 first, but I didn’t hesitate to add this bottle to my collection.

John McTavish

SCORE

6.83

Cost/Point

$17.56

Scoring System

Personal Spirit Review: Lagavulin The Distillers Edition