Lagavulin 20 Year, Fèis Ìle 2020
Whisky: Lagavulin 20 Year, Fèis Ìle 2020
Country/Region: Scotland/Islay
ABV: 54%
Cask: Refill and PX/Oloroso Seasoned Hogsheads
Age: 20 Years (Bottled 2020)
Nose: Coastal and earthy, woven pandanus and coconut palm; a touch of mint, charred lemons and oranges; old bonfire pits, grilled shellfish, a touch of tarry ropes and gunpowder.
Palate: Medium-bodied, coastal, charred citrus, brine with a subtle metallic note, grilled shellfish, earth, dried grass, tropical decay.
Finish: Long with grilled shellfish, a kiss of salt, and fruit.
Score: 8
Mental Image: Pirate Cove Adventure
Narrative & Notes: We approached a pirate-ridden cove with the wind blowing maritime brine and sweet dried earth in our direction. The woven pandanus fronts and dried coconut palms from the shore drifted out along with the promise of margaritas as mint and charred lemons or oranges joined in. Shellfish on the grill promised food as a gentle murmur of gunpowder, old burnt woody bonfire pits, and tarry ropes carried us forward. Medium-bodied, the profile carried the pirate adventure onward as maritime brine and sweet citrus dueled over notions of dried grass and earth hinted at buried treasure. Charred oranges with a touch of tropical mango arrived first with crisp salt and a gentle metallic nibble. Grilled prawns and shellfish led to dried grass, red dirt, and sun-baked sand. A touch of earthy tropical decay with pandanus and coconut lingered in the background. The finish was long with grilled shellfish, a kiss of salt, and fruit.
I got a bit carried away in the preceding paragraph, but this was an evocative whisky— also, it was good. It reminded me of treasure hunting on the beach as a kid, but it also struck me as vaguely like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney. That ride, which I went on as often as my parents would allow, informed much of my adolescent treasure-hunting interest in Black Beard, Long John Silver, Davy Jones, and many others. I never found any buried treasure, but I had fun hunting.
Pirates aside, this was an excellent whisky. The wife found it a bit mellow and mild for Lagavulin but enjoyed the intensity of tropical fruits and barbecue notes. It was far less maritime for her, much less than it was for me, as I encountered sweet tropical brine at almost every turn. She described the saltiness as more like salt-crusted meat than seawater.
Image Credit: Whisky Auctioneer
Theme: End-of-Year Favorites
The theme this December 2023 is cleaning the house, and the reviews posted this month are either things I did not get a chance to slide into a theme week earlier this year, drams I have poured to celebrate the holidays and end of the school year, or as part of our online whisky group’s mystery dram advent calendar. These are posted in no particular order!
