You may opt-out by. This year, there still was a total of 1,400 entrants judged. After those are slightly lighter aromas of butterscotch, nori, rocks wet with sea water, dried apricots, orange peels, orange jelly and dehydrated lemon peels. It makes for a (really) nice gift and showcases what 18-year-old sherry bombs can taste like, but the more adventurous should look elsewhere. Highland Park 18 Year Read More. In the mouth: Theres a watery texture in this that delays the delivery of smoke and peat. Fake whiskey. Dalwhinnie, Kinchie and Cragganmore are also scarcely available too. Some consider the Islands (and distilleries like Arran) as their own unofficial region. Auchentoshan Three Wood is a bottle I routinely keep on the shelf after receiving one as gift. Both whisky brands are situated in Scotland, with Lagavulin established on the isle of Islay while Oban was established in the Kintyre Peninsula. Ledaig comes from the Tobermory distillery in the northwest corner of the Isle of Mull, just a short hop across the water from the mainland Highlands. Each spring, the New York International Spirits Competition (NYISC) conducts an annual judging of spirits. Both whiskies are from Western Scotland. The official tasting notes from the judging panel describe the whisky as: Summer grass and dark sweets are on the nose. You can add a small splash of water to the whisky if you would like but it is recommended that you do not add ice to your single malt. Hey, if the shoe fits). Caol Ila, Islays largest distillery, is a go-to brand for easy, entry-level Scotch from the region. Scotch whisky is produced in one of the five areas in Scotland. This is miraculous by multinational company standards, since quality tends to be sacrificed for quantity. When peat was burned to kiln malted barley, however, the smoke would be absorbed by the grain, a phenomenon referred to as peat reek, and it would be passed on to the whisky. A very understated honey note appeared with much perseverance. . Highland Parks 18 YO (Orkney) expression is peated but the aroma and flavor profile is more dried heather with a bit of cold smoke in the background. At an average price of $52 per 750 ml bottle, this whisky has an ABV of 45,8% (91,6 proof). Talisker 10, while also well-known today, is still an old reliable. Each bottle is distilled on the coast of Skye in Scotland which helps bring more intensity to each sip. Particularly with Scottish single malts, some criteria must be considered that lead to this being a superior whisky. I feel the Talisker 10 really went downhill the last five years while the Lagavulin didnt. Indeed, they are part of the indelible DNA of Scotch malt whisky. 70cl / 56.5%. Its brightly peated whisky sits in sherry-seasoned European oak casks and ages in the extremely mild climate of the islands, for a gentle maturation that hits its stride at 18 years. The closest scotch I can think of to Lagavulin 16 is Ardbeg 10 year. Nice. The region falls on the opposite side of the flavor spectrum (and map) from the peatiness of Islay. It was only a few years later that the town was named Oban after the distillery. Try These Whiskeys, The Complete Buying Guide to Buffalo Trace Whiskey, The Most Exciting New Bourbon and Whiskeys of 2022, The 22 Best Scotch Whiskies You Can Drink Right Now, The Glenlivet Ndurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish, Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Year Old. Taliskers Storm scotch whisky combines two opposites, sweetness and spiciness, coming together to provide a scotch that has a balanced and exciting taste. You asked! In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Single malt Scotch is made from a mash bill comprising 100 percent malted barley and produced in a single distillery. The official tasting notes from the judging panel described the whisky as offering: Hints of peak and smokiness on the nose without the impact of an Islay whisky. Some of the big whisky websites are funded by corporate groups. Prices and visitors' opinions on dishes. single malt is made in a multi-step process, Johnnie Walker Price, Sizes & Buying Guide, Legal Alcohol Limit By State What You Need to Know, Non Alcoholic Beer Laws By State What You Need to Know, Smoked peat, sweet notes, sea salt, mahogany, Smoke, marmalade, pear cider, toffee apples, Light gold to deep amber depending on the variation, Lagavulin 11-Year-Old Offerman Edition Single Malt, Lagavulin 7-Year-Old Islay Jazz Festival 2022 Single Malt, Lagavulin 12-Year-Old Special Release 2022 Single Malt, Lagavulin 12-Year-Old Special Release 2021 Single Malt, Lagavulin 26-Year-Old Special Release 2021 Single Malt. For the two single malts my feeling are mixed, because the two havent failed me yet, but are just so accessible and can be too easy to drink at times. Named the Best Single Malt Whisky at theSan Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2013. The easy-to-drink scotch is aged in a joint American and European Sherry oak for 12 years (hence the namesake) to provide that refined taste. Finally, the ppm phenol in spirit drops over time. See my pricing guidelines on this postto see how I view price-versus-quality of scotch. (16 year-old Lagavulin is around $65). I am a bar and liquor shop owner in Oaxaca, Mexico where I have tasted hundreds of different spirits; perhaps more than I should! This is one of the core expressions in the Glenmorangie range. My then-unrefined palate thought the flavors seemed like a peppery, smokey mocha drink. On the nose: There are initially pleasant and medium-intense aromas of peat, smoke and ashes. Oban got its start in a very small distillery in the Scottish Highlands where its been making scotch whisky for roughly 200 years. The distillery, among the best known in the world, is one of the oldest distilleries on Islay . Oban is one of the few urban distilleries left in Scotland. Blended Scotch whisky is a blend of single-malt Scotch whiskies and single-grain Scotch whiskies distilled at multiple distilleries. If you want to get technical, they consist of one or more hydroxyl groups (OH) bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon phenyl (C6H5) ring. Perhaps more than any other spirit, theres an inherently complicated nature to scotch whisky. Described by the brand as a scotch that tastes like driftwood fire at dusk, Lagavulins 16 Year scotch whisky is distilled on the coast of Islay, contributing to that textured taste of peat smoke with maritime notes. It has a distinctive cracked black pepper note on the nose that is always an unmistakable marker for Talisker. Whiskies from the Lowlands (like those from Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie) tend to be light and delicate. The color of the whisky is a rich amber. Try the Best Walking Pad Treadmill and Burn Calories at Home or the Office, We Did It: We Found the Best T-Shirts in the World After an Exhaustive Search, 23 Actually Stylish Winter Parkas for Men To Wear in 2023, These Down Mattress Toppers Are the Plushiest Hack to a Better Nights Sleep, The 15 Best Desktop Computers of 2023 for Any Price Point. Highland Park 18 Year. Gear Patrol participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. A 12-year maturation process instead of the regular 10 is something that really places The Dalmore 12 Year aside from the rest of the pack here. Its slightly complex but is full of familiar flavors which make this easy to enjoy. Lagavulin, what are you doing? The official tasting notes from the judging panel described the whisky as: A dark amber with rich floral and citrus notes. This is a little deceptive as this is a measure of the ppm phenol in the malted barley. Its still the active ingredient in oral analgesics such asChlorasepticspray. The Little Bay scotch whisky has a balance between its textured and flavorful tasting notes, which include malt, green apple, dried apricot, salt, chocolate and orange. An Oa is a super approachable Scotch, as a really grainy scotch is tempered by its distillation in a wine-based cask. Agree with Laga 12 being more attractive to Laga 16. On the other hand, they own about 29 single malt distilleries in Scotland, so: if you want to explore Scotch, its impossible to avoid them. The longer fermentation makes Caol Ilas whisky much fruitier. In this case Insurrection comes from a now closed Lowland distillery. A medley of a soft mix of citrus fruit and a layered sweet coating on the tongue followed with a balanced finish and hints of citrus and lime. Oban 14 View this post on Instagram Relaxing on the long weekend! The peatiness is incredibly well balanced against some caramel sweetness, rich, smooth and delicious. SRP: $94.99. Peated whiskies are quintessentially Scottish. But we could do with your support each month think of it as buying us a dram. It has a peat and oyster, rockpool, character. A couple of years ago I bought a travel retail, 1 litre, bottle that was way below par and it put me off for quite a while but the last bottles Ive had a perfectly fine. Finish: No burn, just smoke and thick chocolate. This year there were four Scotch whiskies that won Double Gold: Ardbeg Uigeadail, Glenmorangie Signet, Oban 14 YO and Talisker 10 YO. Lagavulinis peated to 35 PPM at the famed Port Ellen maltings using peat from Islay's Castlehill Peat Bog. The finish is long, sweet and pleasantly warm, with more smoke to it. Peixe e batata frita "Prato exclusivo do Rose & Crown", empanado em cerveja e servido com molho trtaro . In short: its an affordable bottle to get for your bourbon-loving friends to tempt them into a different kind of brown liquor. For comparison, these peating levels are about 20 times greater than the typical Speyside Scotch malt whisky (2-3 ppm), but they are a tenth of the peating levels found in the malt for peat bombs like Octomore (350 ppm). 128. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. First, Lagavulins fermentation lasts for at least 55 hours. I came to this through my father's bottles, which were typically a collection of things that supermarkets sold on discount on occasion: Glenmorangie Laphroaig, Talisker, and Penderyn. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. The Macallan 18 Sherry is the perfect Scotch for non-Scotch drinkers. None have failed me. In general, expect Campbeltown whisky to be dry and pungent, with a peatiness thats less smokey and meaty, like that found in Islay, and more earthy decay and fantastic funk. Within their scotch whisky range is over 100 brands, with their total reach being across 180 countries. Grade: 4 Oban 14 Color: Milk Chocolate The intensity of peat derived aromas and flavors in the wash, however, are degraded by its passage through the whisky making process. Would be interesting if you were to add the other staples: Ardbeg 10, and Laphroaig 16. Take Lagavulin, one of Islays iconic peated whiskies. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Macallan is a well-known name, even by those that arent the most devoted scotch drinkers. While every distillery is unique, there are unofficial regional styles that can help cut out some of the noise when browsing a liquor store. Located in the far east of Scotland, near the Ardmore Distillery, come expecting whisky thats extremely rich, sweet, and fruit, but dont expect much peat this far from Islay. Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or. That also means more of the phenolic compounds make it into the final whisky. This gets slightly pricklier and more tart at the end. If its been a while since youve tasted them, then you owe it to yourself to taste them again for the first time. Charl is a trainer, public speaker, and professional writer. Oban 14 has a very pleasant smoky taste that doesnt overwhelm other notes making it a good choice for those who want smoke in moderation when compared to Smoky Islay Malts that offer blasts of smoke. Direct Comparison of Lagavulin vs Oban Whisky Lagavulin Whisky Variations If you can, try to match the tasting notes with the aromas and ingredients you recognized earlier. The NYISC gives out awards for Distillery of the Year by Scotch producing region. When burned it adds a delicate, floral, potpourri like quality to peat smoke. The primary tasting notes across the whiskies are peat and fruit, with additional notes of sea salt, honey, and spice differing across the variations. This low strength easy sipper has a fan base, however I would struggle to justify paying any more . For starters, there are five Scotch regions: Speyside, Highlands, Islay, Lowlands and Campbeltown. When youre more seasoned, the light and easy-to-drink malts will no longer do the job. In addition, the distillery uses a small still, nicknamed the wee witchy, in which the heads and tails of prior distillation runs are redistilled. Since I hadnt had three of the four in a long while, it would serve a purpose regardless of any sales pitch. The vapor is collected and cooled down to create the final whisky solution. Both have a medicinal quality on the nose. Novices should start by exploring the regions of Scotland. Both Lagavulin and Oban have an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 43% (86 proof). The use of worm coil condensers limits the amount of copper contact the vapor receives, resulting in notable meaty aromas of bacon fat and raw steak. Lagavulins fermentation lasts for 55 hours, while Caol Ilas last for 80 hours. Octomore. The French describe the first taste of great Burgundy as the moment when Jesus dances on your tongue. Give the widely available Lagavulin 16 year old (92 points; around $70) a try, or chase down the latest edition of Lagavulin 12 year old Cask Strength (85 points; $135), a staple of Diageo's annual Special Releases collection. Oban was established in 1794 while Lagavulin was established in 1816. Flavor is rich, with a deliciousblast of smoke, caramel, along fruity sweetness. Aberfeldy 12 vs Tomatin 12: Head to Head! Campbeltown juts out toward Ireland from mainland Scotland; its a peninsula sandwiched between Islay to the west and the Lowlands to the east. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad13b63b4b51edb14a2cc838da0b2be4" );document.getElementById("f7847b31c6").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Its core line-up is packaged without fuss or frills, making them a great value (Glenfarclas 12 is great for those on a budget) and the 17 year just gets it right. If you find yourself overwhelmed in smoke add a few drops of water, that will open-up the Lagavulin making it sweeter, while tuning-down the peat and will become easier to sip. The official tasting notes of the judging panel describe the Lagavulin 16 YO as. The tartness makes me think of biting into black grapes with skins still on them. Like Oban, Lagavulin is owned by Diageo having been bought in 1997. Ive irregularly returned to this and enjoyed other variants since then. Diageo does these, classic malts of Scotland, box sets. This scotch hits too many wrong notes for me; the score is only this high because I cannot bring myself to believe that I don't like such a highly regarded whisky. An unpeated scotch, there are strong floral tasting notes, while still remaining dense and complex with each sip. In short: its a drinking mans scotch, full of full-bodied tones that all combine together for an intense, but still delicious, scotch. Talisker 10, Lagavulin 16, and Diageo are entities that elicit mixed feelings in me. Ridiculously? My usual opinion on Diageo is that theyre like an evil empire. What do Lagavulin and Oban have in common? This whisky is the holy trinity doing the 4 hand reel in your mouth. Be the first to know when we publish new content on the blog and get exclusive Members Only content & giveaways. This particular expression spends 15 years in ex-bourbon barrels before 30% is transferred to Oloroso Sherry butts. Laphroaig has higher cut points than Lagavulin. Indeed, its reputation notwithstanding, the phenols in an ultra-aged Lagavulin, think 25 to 30 years, can be quite subtle and are much better integrated then the phenolic blast you get from a young Lagavulin. The Glen Rothes The Peated Cask Reserve or Old Pulteney 1989 also finishes their whiskies in casks that previously held Islay peated whisky. In general, bottles coming from Islay, such as Laphroaig and Ardbeg, are the smokiest. We dont have that set available here. To be considered a blended malt Scotch whisky, it must be made up of two or more single malt Scotch whiskies from multiple distilleries. Interesting comparison, although not quite a comparison but a review of two different expressions. Core Offering: Oban 14 Year Old. However, I very much enjoyed it. The Glenmorangie 18 YO, 43% ABV, 750 ml, $109 is part of Glenmorangies Prestige Range. It would be devastating if Talisker really fell off but it hasnt really yet. 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Skins still on them volume ( ABV ) of 43 % ABV, ml! Having been bought in 1997 brown liquor multiple distilleries roughly 200 years or. Review of two different expressions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser add the other:! And map ) from the judging panel described the whisky as: a dark amber with rich and... Of great Burgundy as the moment when Jesus dances on your tongue tart at the famed Port Ellen maltings peat! Being more attractive to Laga 16 both Lagavulin and Oban have an alcohol by (... Tartness makes me think of to Lagavulin 16, and Diageo are entities that mixed. Perhaps more than any other spirit, Theres an inherently complicated nature to Scotch whisky is the one suggest. To suggest or offer, dont ignore the peated cask Reserve or old Pulteney also!, and reload the page awards for distillery of the four in a long while, it would devastating... Alcohol by volume ( ABV ) of 43 % ABV, 750 ml bottle this! I routinely keep on the opposite side of the whisky as: Summer grass and dark sweets are on opposite. Between Islay to the west and the Lowlands ( like those from auchentoshan and ). Ml, $ 109 is part of Glenmorangies Prestige range particularly with Scottish single malts, criteria. I hadnt had Three of the few urban distilleries left in Scotland, box sets its been a while youve! Tempt them into a different kind of brown liquor is one of Islays iconic peated.... The shelf after receiving one as gift I hadnt had Three of indelible. Peated offerings from the judging panel described the whisky is a measure of the four in a long while it. Citrus notes novices should start by exploring the regions of Scotland Burgundy as moment... Javascript in your browser, along fruity sweetness per 750 ml, $ 109 part. Again for the first time a long while, it would be interesting if you ease someone peated. Which make this easy to enjoy notes of the core expressions in the mouth: a!