Lagavulin 14 Year (2022 Islay Jazz Festival)

Lagavulin's Islay Jazz Festival releases are essential for any whisky aficionado's collection. My admiration began with the 2017 edition, and I haven't missed a subsequent release. In 2022, Lagavulin introduced two expressions for the Islay Jazz Festival. This review focuses on the 7-year-old, a cask strength bottling at an impressive 59.5% ABV. The aroma presented unusual notes that resonate with my appreciation for heavily peated spirits. First identifiable scents included merthiolate and the rubber tubing from a bicycle tire. Poyvydone, gooseberries, and a metallic quality followed. It evoked images of a swampy pond or a tire repair shop. How could anyone not appreciate this scent profile? It's impossible! On the palate, the vanilla from the bourbon casks is quite prominent. Salty brine, sulfur, and a fiery chili note are present. A second taste transported me to Italy, reminiscent of a luxuriously creamy vanilla gelato. The aftertaste is superb, with notes of pecans, metallic undertones, and sulfur. Roasted almonds are also detected. Truly incredible, with an exceptionally long finish. Overall, this expression embodies the spirit of jazz. It's a complex composition of spectacular elements (whether peaty or musical) that challenge your expectations and paradigms, revealing something distinct and artistic. This dram is precisely that. My rating is a solid 97 out of 100. Despite being a 7-year-old, it showcases Lagavulin's capabilities.

It's a fact: Lagavulin is superior, and the Islay Jazz editions are the finest Lagavulins. I'm pleased we've settled that. Let's now focus on the 2022 special Islay Jazz releases. This year featured two: a 7-year-old Ex Bourbon Cask Strength, and this outstanding 14-year-old aged in Ex Brandy Casks, bottled at 55.4% ABV with a stunning golden hue. The nose is absolutely incredible, offering scents of ham, worn cotton socks, moss, new shoes, and a fresh can of tennis balls, alongside brown sugar, burnt rubber, sponge, and a rubber duck. After a few sips, it presented notes of liquid paper, glue, and plastic. On the palate, this liquid is marvelous, with peaches, earthiness, incredible bacon, and roasted coffee. Subsequent sips revealed dehydrated peaches and molasses. It was nearly perfect in this regard. The aftertaste was glorious: Cuban cigars, smoke, ashes, and very prolonged, with hints of ginger and salt. Overall, this was an otherworldly dram. I believe this is my first experience with a Brandy Cask finish, and it did not disappoint. Brandy, essentially a type of burnt wine popularized in the Netherlands as 'Brandewijn,' complements the Lagavulin spirit exceptionally well. Truly great stuff; my rating is 99 out of 100 (it only missed one point on the palate).