Lagavulin Distiller's Edition (1994 & 1995) and Glendronach 15 Years Revival

Had dinner at one of our favourite sushi restaurants in Singapore after returning from Tokyo. Yes, I love Japanese food. Knowing that the head chef loves his whisky, we brought a bottle of Glendronach 15 Revival to savour as an after dinner drink. Before you knew it, he took out his personal stash of Hibiki 30 (reviewed here, what an amazing dram which was sold out everywhere in Tokyo!) and Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 1994 and 1995 (previous review of 1989 version here).

THE REVIEW

Lagavulin DE 1994: A sherried Lagavulin! Have forgotten what it tastes like already as it has been awhile since I've had the Distiller's Edition version. This one treads the balance nicely between sherry and smoke. The debate will forever rage whether this is better than the 16 YO.

Lagavulin DE 1995: The sweetness in this one overpowers the peat slightly in this one. A little more tannic on the taste buds as well. I prefer the 1994 although I know of people that prefer this one, probably because they prefer less smoky whiskies in general.

Glendronach 15Yr: Not in the same class as the single cask series but nonetheless very impressive for the price point. Fresh floral notes and a strong sherry punch hits you when you taste it with a candied finish. I'm stocking up on this one as an everyday dram!

Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1989

After trying the superlative Lagavulin 16 years, we decided to sample the Lagavulin Distillers Edition to see if they could improve on an already excellent whisky. The Distillers Edition series was created by Diageo to give a new dimension to the classic malts that they own. Essentially, it is the same whisky but 'finished' in a cask which previously held wine. In the case for Lagavulin, it is double matured in a full bodied Pedro Ximenez Sherry cask. My guess is that they wanted to balance this powerful malt with the sweetness of sherry. Here are the results:

The Review


Taste Profile


The Scoring

Conclusion: The pungence of the sherry cask is very apparent when you smell or taste it. Yet the peaty, powerful character of Lagavulin still shines through as these two distinct flavours compete with each other for your attention. An interesting experiment and a great dram that is easy to drink. Nonetheless, we still prefer the original undiluted thank you very much!

Scotland vs Ireland (Whisky vs Whiskey) - Lagavulin 16 and Bushmills 16

Here’s an interesting tasting that pits, in our opinion, the best, affordable whiskies which Scotland and Ireland have to offer. Presenting the Lagavulin 16 years versus Bushmills 16 years. Whisky vs. Whiskey (For your info, only in Ireland and United States it is spelled with an additional ‘e’).

The Review

Taste Profile

The Scoring

Lagavulin 16 Years

Comments: Overpowering peat combined with layers of pine, walnuts, dark chocolate and hints of sulphur. Truly one of the great distilleries in the world. A must for any collection.

Bushmills 16 Years

Comments: Still one of my favourite whiskies with its strong nutty and vanilla flavours. It seems to be hard to find outside of Ireland unless you look in specialty shops. Grab it when you see it!

The Verdict

It was a close battle between 2 delicious whiskies but eventually Lagavulin edged out Bushmills as the better whisky. This was a tough decision as Bushmills was the whisk(e)y that introduced me to the water of life.