Here’s a quick question about a bottle I opened last night: the 2020 release of the Lagavulin Distillers Edition. I didn’t pay close attention at purchase and assumed it was, like all previous releases of the Lagavulin Distillers Edtion, 16 years old. That is to say that it was—as it used to be—the Lagavulin 16 + a few months extra maturation in PX sherry casks. See, for example the three I’ve previously reviewed: the 1991-2007, the 1993-2009 and the 1997-2013; but it’s not just mine: all the listings on Whiskybase for releases prior to 2020 have the same 16 year gap between distillation and release. However, this label lists a 2005 distillation before bottling in 2020. There doesn’t appear to have been a change in the nature of the double maturation—the box still notes that PX sherry casks are used. So why this change? Is this a one-off due to insufficient stocks from 2004? Or is the Lagavulin Distillers Edition going to be younger going forward? For that matter, I suppose, there may have been changes in the ages of Diageo’s other Distillers Editions as well—I confess I haven’t tracked them. If you know more about this please write in to the comments below.
How is the whisky itself, you ask? Very, very good: I’ll have a review next month.
Hi there,
oszilation in the age of various DEs is not unknown. There were Dalwhinnies from 1990 and 1991 DE that were nearly 18 yo on release.
There was talk about a Lagavulin DE 2020 distilled in 2004 but I could not find a trace of this version on the internet yet.
But that does not explain why the above Lagavulin is only 15 yo.
Greetings
kallaskander
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Yes, on Twiter Jordan D. pointed out yesterday that the Talisker D.E used to be 11-13 years old till 2014 or so. But even that has never gone below the age of the Talisker 10. But with this Laga DE now younger than the Laga 16 we have to wonder if it is still whisky headed to becoming Laga 16 being aged a bit longer in PX or if it’s from a separate maturation stream, so to speak.
Then again it may be a one-off and we may be back to normal in 2021. I’m just curious if those who are more plugged into industry announcements etc. have heard anything about this.
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