Lagavulin 2001

Nice whisky, smoky and noticeably sherried. The taste is rather spicy at the beginning but quickly calms down opening fruity and minerally tones. Very well balanced but missing some complexity.

Was not my thing now. To be honest, it was not fun. but that's only my personal opinion. At the age of 16 I felt the same way. That's why I really praise the Classic of Islay range. The turn, I think is really great.

Tidy. Yes, perfectly drinkable, but nothing to drive you crazy.

Well, I had a lot of Lagavulin DEs so far but this one is very weak compared to other years. The PX influence is not as heavy as for example 1997 or 1998, therefore you don't get the berries at all, just a few dried red fruits. The smoke is there but the full-bodied Lagavulin 16 is missing here. Don't get me wrong, this is still a decent malt but not what you would expect from a Lagavulin DE. Of course the 80s where amazing, never thought I would say the late 90s where great compared to the following fellows. The first year I didn't buy the Laphroaig Cairdeas and now the first year I won't buy the Lagavulin DE.Concerning price/performance ratio: 7/10

Very smooth and creamy, really not bad but a bit lacking of the typical Laga punch

A great, intensely smoky lagvulin. However, I expected a little more fruitiness, sweetness and complexity from the PX sherry finish.

Meaty Lag, more on the sweet side

This 2001 Lagavulin bottling exemplifies how controlled and targeted double maturation in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks can be, without compromising the distillery's distinctive character. The nose immediately reveals this to be a mature Islay whisky, where the peat smoke is no longer overtly aggressive, but rather integrated and structured. The sweet, typical PX aromas of dates, raisins, and cherry syrup provide a dark, fruity base, while notes of leather and old wood indicate an advanced stage of maturation. Maritime components such as seaweed and salt firmly anchor the flavor profile within the Lagavulin style. This impression continues on the palate. The texture is soft and rounded, which, at the moderate drinking strength of 43% ABV, enhances approachability without noticeably diminishing the intensity of flavors. The sweetness remains present, but never becomes dominant, instead balancing the robust peat smoke and the mineral, tarry, and ashy notes. Spices, dried fruit, and a subtle hint of chocolate expand the flavor profile and clearly reveal the sherry influence without overpowering it. The finish is medium-long and confirms the initial impression of a mature, rather dry Islay whisky. Smoke and cold ash dominate the aftertaste, accompanied by dry oak, raisins, and salty nuances. A delicate peppery note adds a spicy accent and provides a clean, slightly drying finish. Overall, this is a well-balanced, technically sound Lagavulin, where the Pedro Ximénez finish provides support, adding depth and roundness without masking the smoky, maritime core.

More sweet and less fruity than other versions of the Lagavulin DE series. Quite powerful ,smoky and ashy. Not as versatile as I would expect, still a very nice dram.

[November, 2017]  As usual I try the recent Lagavulin DE.  To be honest, the quality of this great dram unfortunately degraded slowly but constantly over the last years and I wonder if this is true for the 2017 release as well.  This year's profile is much more herbal and bitter (tannins) than the previous bottlings, obviously it fell victim to the cask shortage crisis too (it seems as if even Lagavulin has to use some virgin or refill caucasian oak, too).  It is not really bad, but the nice balance of peat-sweetness-spices is somewhat hurt this way.  There are some adstringent moments (tannins) both in the initial mouthfeel and the finish that I do not like.  Nevertheless, this is a bold and enjoyable dram, still.  But if it keeps degrading this way over the years to come I can imagine to stop drinking it at all (what would be a caesura as I ever, ever tried a bottle of the new Lagavulin DE release each year).  The growing quality problems of the scotch whisky industry due to the long-lasting whisky boom get more serious year after year.  Will it all burst in an exploding bubble or do whisky connoisseurs slowly adapt to these new tastes and profiles?  No one will know for sure, but if you prefer the rather old style whiskies I strongly recommend to build up a stock of your favourite drams (for your future own consumption only, not as an investment!).  I did this several years ago, already...

A great malt!

Great standard bottling. The surcharge for the 16-year-old is worthwhile if you like dark fruit in addition to smoke. How great would it be if we had 46 or 48% drinking strength here.

Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 2001 double matured 2017 green label. Consumed Mar 2019. A 'shaky hand' 35ml pour at Lismore, Glasgow. Aroma is lovely salty sherry more of a sherry bomb than a peat grenade, more salt than smoke. Taste is similarly sherry-led and much of the smoke has been swamped. Actually blind I would probably say this is an old sherry bomb from Speyside (but a really good one). The peat is quite faint indeed. Touch of menthol as it drains. Not exactly what I was expecting but that aside, it's an excellent, beautiful dram in its own right. (3.85/92)

In a small Lagavulin tasting, it falls significantly in direct comparison to the 2000 and 2002 vintages. It tastes watery, I even like the standard 16y much better. So a vintage that you still have to have - especially not at the prices called today (07.2022 from 135.00 and up)

Nase: süß, würzig, Rauch, helle Kirsche, etwas Lakritz, leicht Zitrus, etwas Eiche | Geschmack: Süß, würzig, Rauch, leicht mineralisch, Vanille, etwas Kirsche, etwas Eiche, etwas Keksteig, Malz | Abgang: Mittellang; süße Noten, mineralische Noten, Rauch, etwas Vanille und etwas Eiche bleiben. | Fazit: Die Nase beginnt süß und würzig. Rauch und helle Kirsche kommen dazu. Etwas Lakritz und eine ganz leichte Zitrus Note folgen. Etwas Eiche ist auch da. Der Geschmack beginnt süß und würzig. Rauch und leicht mineralische Noten kommen dazu. Vanille und etwas Kirsche folgen. Etwas Eiche, etwas Keksteig und Malz sind dann noch da. Ein schöner Whisky. Sehr geschmeidig und gut abgestimmt. Er überfordert nicht. Viel süße Noten und Rauch. Fehlnoten habe ich keine. | 86-87 Punkte

Aroma: intense peat smoke, vanilla, subtle citrus notes, hints of iodine and seaweed Taste: strong peat smoke, malt, vanilla and citrus followed by the sweetness of Pedro Ximenez barrel Finish: very long and smoky with oak and chocolate notes

Like the standard 16yo only in sweeter. That would be really good with more revolutions (46 or 48). So it remains a very balanced-sweet-easy-drinking smoker. I like it quite well, but 70 € .....

I love the DEs, and I think the 2001 is well done. 81-85 – Wow, really good one

Really love these Lagavulin DE's! One of, if not probably, my favourite easy drinking peaty drams. Great combination of sweetness, spices, smoke and peat. Very curious to know how these would be on 46% ...

It's a real good whisky if you like peaty in combination with sherry. Love it!

- a very good Islay single malt - significantly softer, rounder and more harmonious than the 16 J. - it doesn't hurt that FS is not used here - one of the best bottlings of the DE that have been drunk so far - had it better in direct comparison to 2013 and 2014 Aromas in the glass - At €80, it wasn't cheap back then, but still acceptable - today's prices are no longer justified

Less intense than the standard 16 year old. This is the best Lagavulin I have tasted. Top quality. How many bottles can I afford?

Nose: The typical flavor of earthy peat smoke fills the room while I still pour the dram. The smokey cloud slowly vanishes, releasing something that reminds me of a chlorinated indoor pool. This smoke is different from the ham and bacon malts, it has some cold ashes in it, but not a single piece of pork. Sad! Behind the smoke, there is something that vaguely reminds me of a baked chestnut, iodine, and some vanilla. For some yet unknown reason, I can also smell some puked German beer. I promise you that this most definitely was not my fault. This beer gradually dissolves into both dried and fresh fruit which might be peaches and raisins. Taste: The Lagavulin does not even try to be an easy evening dram. There is a huge kick coming in before the lovely PX cask pours its silky sweetness over the sharp fire, turning it into strong black espresso, mixed with the contents of a raw vanilla pod. The second sip adds some sugar for the espresso and something that could be overripe oranges. Finish: Some campfire smoke remains on my tongue for several minutes while the (now bitter) coffee from the tongue gradually disappears.

A Distillers Edition at its finest. A top painter, in which the higher price is well justified. Very successful combination of smoke and sherry! LAGAVULIN = the pearl of Islay's south coast !!!!

A great whisky!!! A little bit better, compared with newer variants of distillers edition

Somewhat fuller and slightly flowery with water. Difficult to determine without a direct comparison, but unfortunately the complexity of the Distillers Edition also decreases slowly but continuously over the years. The sherry influence is also no longer as clear as in previous batches. Overall, however, nice and round and pleasant to drink.

A great whisky!!! Much better, compared with newer variants of distillers edition