Malt Of The Month November 2022 - Jazz Festival 7-Year-Old
Our Malt of the Month is Jazz Festival 7-Year-Old Single Malt by Lagavulin Distillery
This 7-year-old Lagavulin Jazz Festival Exclusive is a new edition to this year's Islay Jazz Festival. Lagavulin Distillery has created this young single malt scotch whisky as a golden opportunity to showcase the vibrancy and life that is found in Lagavulin spirit, and the seven years in cask just hones the flavour and adds a touch of sweetness without dampening any of its vibrancy. Only 2,490 bottles were produced of this delicious malt, and it is exclusively available on Malts.com.
7-year-old Lagavulin Jazz Festival Exclusive
Tasting Notes Tasted by Ian Crammond and Charlie Mclean
With its breezy confidence, this clean and concise expression of Lagavulin character, the youngest released for many a year, makes a perfect dram for a blowy day.
Appearance: Pale sunlight, light beading with slim, slow legs.
Nose: A mild nose with light prickle despite the strength. The top-notes are both maritime, suggesting a briny, fresh sea breeze with a trace of iodine, and citric, backed by a chalky mineral note on a faintly medicinal base, with little peat-smoke so far.... though adding a drop of water soon brings up that subject!
Body: Light to medium.
Palate: At natural strength, a smooth and gently oily texture. The taste is lightly sweet, rounded and citrus-fruity while also notably salty, then smoky, growing more and more so, as threads of pungent wood smoke lead straight to white pepper heat late on. Water softens and calms the flow; the balance now is poised between softer sweetness and ever-present smoke.
Finish: Quite long, smoky and drying, as more than a little of the spicy heat entwines with the smoke in a pleasing and warming finale. Similar with water, when there is a mouth cooling aftertaste.
Summing this fine dram up on one sentence, Charlie MacLean says: “Fresh, clear and simple; a fine outdoors dram, preferably enjoyed on the beach, accompanied by fresh oysters.”
MORE INFORMATION AND PURCHASE HERE
Podcast
In November 2021 we spoke to Pierrick Guillaume, Distillery Manager at the Lagavulin Distillery on Islay. Pierrick talks about the sights, sounds and smells of Islay, why he loves working at the Lagavulin Distillery and the journey that brought him there, and why he’s taken the Lagavulin 12 year old on holiday with him.