Lagavulin – 26 Year Old Special Release 2021 (44.2%)

A 26 year old Lagavulin single malt from Islay, released as part of the 2021 Special Releases and bottled at 44.2%. The nose combines light, fresh, winey top notes with linseed oil, polished mahogany, dry seaweed, baked fig and butterscotch. Deeper in, it turns sharper, oily and smoky, with tarry rope and boat engine. Water softens these aromas, and a note of clean linen lasts longest. The palate is light, very smooth and oily, with brief sweetness before salt and pepper, growing spicier and smokier. The finish is long, sweet and faintly smoky, like smouldering beech leaves, leaving chanterelle mushrooms.