LAGAVULIN 8 YEAR OLD ISLAY SINGLE MALT WHISKY 48% 700ML

Nose: A pungent nose missile straight to the olfactory centers of the brain. BOOM piercing peat with unmistakable Lagavulin character. A blossom of salted caramel, honeysuckle, fresh hay, and refined, clarified, condensed ocean-flecked peat. Be careful with the nose tickle – it is sharp much deeper than the rim of the glass.

Palate: Soft, medium body. Sweet and gentle initially, lulling you, but the lull is suddenly shattered by a wave of tongue burn. This is over mercifully quickly (amazing for a young malt at 48%), scattering wet leaves, mushroomy peat, sea spray, sparkling minerality, and caramel across the tongue in equal proportion.

Finish: Long. Begins with a slight pale oakiness, then adds a layer of sooty (but not very bitter) charcoal. The peat and other notes are distant, now, and the party seems to be over quickly. The finish continues, but with mostly dry wood and dry coal.