Ever since I tried it for the first time in Café Terminus in Den Bosch, I’ve loved this dram. Back then, the dram (sizeable as it was) set me back € 8, which at the time was a small fortune. After that dram I had another.

A sizeable sample

Anyway, I’ve bought a bottle some years ago and finished that. I tried one recently at Hielander Whisky Festival, and now this one. I think it’s the second oldest, but my palate is more fresh than it was in Alkmaar at the festival and already the scent is more impressive.

What this dram boils, as said in the older post, is that it’s the regular one with a finish. But, just like the regular Lagavulin 16, albeit still a great dram, it’s a long shot from what it used to be. That’s what makes it a lot of fun to taste these oldies every now and again. It’s even better if a friend brings along a sample for you!

Sniff:
The scent is rather strong, with quite some orange, blood orange and a gentle note of peat. The regular Lagavulin tea-like scent is there too, with a hint of iodine. Oak is present in a very furniture like way, like old arm chairs.

Lagavulin 1986 DE. Image from Whiskybase

Sip:
The texture is rather thick with gentle sherry notes, very PX-y. It turns a bit coarser with the peat and salinity I find typical of most south Islay distilleries. The notes of orange have gone more candy like, syrupy. Tea, iodine, salt, oak, furniture polish.

Swallow:
The finish, at first, has a lot less of the sweeter notes and is very much like the regular Lagavulin 16. It’s not very long and does get a bit sweeter but it’s very ashy and peaty. Coarser even.

This is a really tasty dram. It’s much better than the bottle I had, even while that one was good too. The irony of these whiskies is, with all of the ones I tried, the finish is the weakest part of this one. (The irony being the finish, on a finished whisky).

Anyway, it still a great dram. I should have stocked up ages ago, but I didn’t. Compared to the normal Lagavulin 16 they’re pretty pricy, especially for me still being in Uni. So, recommended if you find it. I think it does about € 150 or so in auctions. (educated guess)

Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition 1986-2002, 43%

Thanks to Tom for the generous sample! (I’ll save you the 20cl bottle!)