So it’s that week again, Feis Ile Festival has started and just like last year I’m going to review a whisky from each Islay (and Jura) distillery on their open day.

Last year it was a wide assortment of drams but this year we’ll review the series of Feis Ile 2014 bottles. Yes, you read it right, for Feis Ile 2015 we’ll review the 2014 bottlings 🙂

But for every rule there are exceptions, and this year we actually starts with the exception. I already reviewed the Lagavulin 1995 19 yo that was bottled for Feis Ile 2014 following a blind tasting. It was a very enlightening post and you may read it here. Therefor, for this years’ series we’ll review the Feis Ile 2010 bottling, which was a 1994 vintage. How lucky was I to receive it from a friend ah? Thanks Nick!

Lagavulin 1994 16 Year Old (Feis Ile 2010 bottling) (52.7%,€399)

Nose: First word that come up in mind is ‘smooth’. It’s not a powerful nose despite the high ABV but it deliver the notes gently.  There’s Oloroso sherry impact with all the whistles and bells meshed with gentle peat that slowly rises up and get stronger but still in balance with the sherry impact. Smoked raisins,  dried fruits, traces of cinnamon pastry and vanilla. 

Palate: As expected, lots of peat, smoke and soot. Very Lagavuliny. The peat is followed immediately by semi dry sweet red fruits turning into sour berries, cinnamon and oak bitterness.

Finish: Medium long finish, with lingering dried fruits sweetness, cinnamon, acrid chimney smoke, oak and overall dryness.

Thoughts: A solid and well balanced sherried Lagavulin whisky. Happy Feis Ile!