Another Enigma from Cadenhead’s!  I gather that most of the malts in this product line are not allowed to be named, perhaps due to stipulations carried by the cask or the trademark protections enforced by particular brands and distilleries (especially those with a strong single malt brand). The internet whispers indicate that this was a Lagavulin which would make some sense as a rarely named Islay malt, though a few of its South Islay neighbors have also gone through spells of not allowing their names to be used by bottlers. This wee dram came via a Cadenhead’s Enigma tasting pack that I picked up in Campbeltown.

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Whisky: Islay Enigma 15 Year (2008), Cadenhead’s

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 54.8%

Cask: Bourbon

Age: 15 Years (Distilled 2008, Bottled Aug. 2024)

Notes: A flaming lemon meringue pie risked disaster while on a sunset cruise— who knew sugars and citrus could be so flammable. A bit of medicinal herbs and muscle rubs provided relaxation, while tarry ropes and salty seas continued to develop. A touch of pine, dried dung, and car smog brought me back to reality. Medium-bodied and oily on the palate, a burst of lemon and brine left me reeling— was tequila to follow? But no, this was not that kind of night, shellfish, salt, pepper, and wispy mentholated tobacco continued to gather steam with some peppery spirit. A touch more lime than lemon as rosemary and coriander stems popped in on an herbal undercurrent rosing to the surface. The finish was medium, though very mild, with pepper, brine, and some scorched citrus peel.

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Score: 6 (77)

Mental Image: Meringue in the Flotsam

Conclusion: This was a bit of a bruiser and reminded me a lot of the Exclusive Malts Lagavulin that I could never love. Go figure that this was supposedly Lagavulin as it hit all the notes I would expect to find. As with some of those other ex-bourbon Lagavulin, the malt lacked a lot of refinement and sometimes felt a bit simple to my palate. I love a good peat bomb, but I prefer something richer, funkier, or fruitier. This had just a bit of each of those elements with a healthy dose of pepper and spirit but never really went anywhere.  Overall, decent, but also another data point that maybe I do not care for ex-bourbon Lagavulin as much as I once thought I did.