Whisky Review: Signatory Caol Ila 20 Year 1995/2015 for K&L Wines

Much like older Laphroaig, older Caol Ila is becoming hard to find, despite the absolutely gargantuan output of the Islay distillery. This is unsurprising as Diageo has largely cut off independent bottlers due to their own expanding requirements for peated malt. But every so often casks still slip into the marketplace that aren't astronomically expensive, despite the eye-popping price tags on even sub-10 year old Caol Ila right now.

This whisky was distilled on January 24th 1995, filled into a hogshead, then bottled on September 30th 2015 at 54.4% without coloring or chill filtration in an outturn of 237 bottles for K&L Wines.

Thanks to Florin for the sample.

Signatory Un-Chillfiltered Collection Caol Ila 20 Year 1995/2015 Cask #445 for K&L Wines

Nose: moderately strong oak, cedar, caramel, gentle sea air, soft Caol Ila peat, soft coal smoke, pine needles, creamy berries. After adding a few drops of water the aromas lose most of their oomph, leaving a washed-out nose that's mostly oak.

Taste: moderate cask strength sweetness up front, quickly joined by a thick layer of oak with berry undertones that persists to the back, not overly tannic, with classic Caol Ila peat and pine dancing through the wood. After dilution the sweetness and oak become brighter, but the peat and berries mostly disappear until the finish.

Finish: solid oak, pine resin, peat

Looking at both the color of the whisky and the flavors and aromas, this was a relatively active hogshead. While less oaky than the 2012 unpeated release I recently reviewed, it feels like a toned down version of that with the peat added back in. While I think it's a solid cask and doesn't have any overt flaws, it doesn't really have the complexity that would have made me want to shell out $150 when it was available. I need to re-try them to be sure, but this doesn't seem to be bringing a lot to the table that can't be found in any of the official Caol Ilas for less money.

Whisky Review: Caol Ila 14 Year Unpeated 2012 Release

For the last decade Diageo has been putting out annual releases of unpeated Caol Ila distilled between 1997 and 1999. Ages and casks have varied from 8 to 17 years old and from ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and European oak casks.

The 2012 release from from European oak casks and bottled at 59.3%, probably without chill filtration but maybe with coloring.

Thanks to Florin for the sample.

Caol Ila 14 Year Unpeated 2012 Release

Nose: heavy oak, caramel, ripe apples, sea air/salinity, dry malt, light creamy vanilla, berries in an almost sherried mode. After adding a few drops of water the oak and malt shift closer to balance, the salinity becomes savory yeast extract, more vanilla comes out, and the fruit notes mostly disappear.

Taste: cask strength sweetness up front, strong oak and tannins come in right behind, apple and salty undertones throughout, fade out through bittersweet caramel and a touch of barrel char at the back. After dilution the sweetness becomes stronger and spreads out while integrating with the oak to give a brighter but more flat profile, and berries are added to the apples in the background to give an almost refill sherry character.

Finish: caramel, heavy oak, a little hot, green apple

In all honesty this whisky feels pointless. The oak dominates the spirit so thoroughly that it could be from practically any distillery in Scotland producing unpeated malt whisky. And while I can kind of detect some European oak character, it feels much more like first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks. The 2010 release that I reviewed a while back was also oak-heavy, but not so much that it felt out of balance. If you happen to see a bottle sitting on the shelf at your local liquor store, don't bother. There are any number of cask strength whiskies out there that would be better for the same money or less.

For a similar review, see Michael Kravitz's take on this malt.

Whisky Review: Gordon & Macphail Caol Ila 10 Year

While Caol Ila aged over ten years seems to be getting kind of thin on the ground, Gordon & Macphail still have fairly deep reserves and regularly release it at more respectable ages. While the majority of these are vintage releases, this one simply has an age statement, more like their Macphail's Collection lineup.

This whisky was aged in refill sherry hogsheads, then bottled at 46% without coloring or chill filtration.

G&M Connoisseur's Choice Caol Ila 10 Year

Nose: solid but not overwhelming Caol Ila peat, fresh tobacco, putty, lightly farm-y, wood ash, seashore, subtle oak, cedar bark, faint sherry in the background. After adding a few drops of water the the same elements are present but more muddled - the peat and oak integrate to become less well-defined - but peat becomes more vegetal than smokey, there is more sherry, and a touch of orange comes out.

Taste: malt sweetness up front, a touch of berries and sherry in the middle, slowly fading into rising peat, tar, and moderate oak tannins. After dilution elements integrate - the malt and sherry come together in the front and middle, while the peat and oak integrate and spread out at the back.

Finish: oak, light peat, wood ash, hints of sherry, malt sweetness in the background

It was a bit frustrating to have to use so many "you're going to have to dig for it" adjectives for the notes beyond the peat, but this was a very subtle whisky in other respects. Whatever casks were used for this release were clearly well-used, because the cask influence in general is quite unobtrusive and any sherry is difficult to detect.

With all that said, this isn't a bad whisky, it's just that you need to calibrate your expectations. While a little higher strength, this feels very similar to the OB 12 Year in terms of its punch. Also, don't expect much in the way of sherry, despite what it says on the bottle. And because of all that I would be disinclined to buy a bottle for more than the standard 12 Year as I don't think it has a lot more to offer.

Whisky Review: SMWS 53.173 "Glowing Embers on the Tongue"

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, which was recently sold by Glenmorangie to a private equity firm, is famous (or infamous) for the fanciful names of their single cask releases. With deep connections to the whisky industry, they always have significant breadth and depth in their cask selection.

This particular single cask is a Caol Ila distilled on August 29th, 1995 that was aged for 16 years in a refill sherry butt, then bottled at cask strength of 59.8% with an outturn of 540 bottles for the Canadian branch of the Society.

Thanks to Dave McEldowney of PDXWhisky for letting me sample this one.

SMWS 53.173

Nose: billowing classic Caol Ila mossy peat smoke, damp ashes, wet concrete, herbal/pine, clean fresh malt, lemon hand soap, salty playdough, cooked root vegetables, earthy, seashore/seaweed, plastic, fresh American oak in the background. After adding a few drops of water, the sherry becomes perceptible - but just barely, and the malt comes more into focus, the root vegetables are enhanced, the oak shifts forward and absorbs some of the smoke, creamy mint and floral notes pop out, and it gives a very dry profile overall.

Taste: big cask strength alcohol sweetness up front, counterbalanced by Caol Ila peat, American oak influence (berries/fruit, caramel), root vegetables, and a bit of new make greenness around the middle, and increasing tannins towards the back, with just a hint of sherry influence under everything if you look for it. After dilution, the sherry wakes up and provides a fruity gloss over the opening sweetness, but the back half is somewhat blown out by the even more aggressive alcohol heat, though some nougat notes emerge beneath it and ash is pulled out near the back.

Finish: strong alcohol heat, bright oak tannins, earthy peat, green malt, salty

This is a classic Caol Ila. The peat was always in focus and it has the herbal/pine quality that I associate with the more refined character of Caol Ila in comparison to its other Islay brethren. With that said, it didn't quite measure up to my expectations. First, the sherry cask was very shy - when I first tried this I had forgotten that it was from an ex-sherry cask and thought it was an ex-bourbon cask. That suggests to me both that it was American rather than European oak and that the first fill of this cask pulled a lot out of the wood, not leaving much behind for this fill. Secondly, the alcohol was very, very hot for a whisky solidly in its teenage years. It's possible that there is a dilution point that would have suited it better, but with only a sample to work with I was unable to experiment.

Admittedly, all of this is irrelevant as this whisky was released several years ago and is likely sold out everywhere. So I will keep my eye out for other teenage Caol Ilas as I would like to try more, but this one doesn't hit the right price:quality ratio for me.

Whisky Review: Caol Ila Unpeated 12 Year, 2010 Release

While Caol Ila is primarily known for its peated whisky, the distillery also produces unpeated 'Highland style' whisky roughly once a year. While this was originally done purely for blenders, it has more recently been bottled as a single malt for Diageo's annual Special Releases. Interestingly, all of the unpeated Caol Ila we've seen as single malts has come from roughly the same vintages, having been distilled between 1997 and 1999. At this point it's one of the few that doesn't cost an obscene amount of money, though I'd argue they're still asking too much for it.

This particular release was made from whisky distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2010 at full batch strength of 57.6%, presumably without coloring or chill filtration.

Thanks to Florin for the sample.

Caol Ila Unpeated 12 Year, 2010 Release

Nose: rich bourbon cask influence (caramel, oak, vanilla), fresh malt, seashore and very mild peat (but more of both with time) underneath, light Highland floral notes, cotton candy/bubblegum, a little berry compote. After adding a few drops of water it initially becomes more Highland-like with increased focus on the malt and fruit/floral esters, while the oak and peat hang out underneath, but the oak and peat reassert themselves after a while and give it a more earthy character, with some almost sherried notes peeking out.

Taste: solid malt and cask sweetness tempered by first-fill cask tannins from the front to middle, creamy vanilla and fruit/floral esters around the middle, then more tannins and a touch of vegetal peat and barrel char near the back. After dilution it becomes a bit softer and more rounded, with the tannins spreading out but becoming a bit less aggressive.

Finish: bittersweet oak, creamy malt, a touch of peat

While not overly complex, I liked this whisky a lot. I can see why it's popular with blenders, as it would make a solid core for a blended whisky. As its unofficial name suggests, there's a lot in common with Highland malts, though it does retain some Islay character (though I pick up less of that than MAO did). There are arguments that the distillery doesn't clean its equipment very thoroughly between peated and unpeated runs, letting a lot of phenols get into the 'unpeated' spirit. More than anything though, this whisky shows how rich Caol Ila's malt can be when it's aged in first-fill rather than refill casks. With that said, the heavier oak does go some way towards covering up the more subtle notes, so it's definitely a trade-off.

While there are still bottles from this release available, the price is just a bit too high for me to bite (especially from a giant distillery owned by a mega international corporation). However, this version is significantly cheaper than the last couple of releases (and actually has an aged statement unlike Stitchell's Reserve), so it's probably a better way to go if you want to try an 'unpeated' Caol Ila.

Whisky Review: Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 1998/2009 Madeira Wood Finish

Caol Ila is one of the biggest distilleries on Islay, cranking out almost boundless amounts of peated whisky for Diageo's blends. This means that it's also the most common Islay whisky to make its way into the warehouses of Scotland's independent bottlers.

This one comes from Gordon & Macphail, one of the biggest and oldest independent bottlers in Scotland. The whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2009 at 45% from two casks.

Thanks to Joe Lorigo for the sample.

Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 1998/2009 Madeira Wood Finish

Nose: dry mossy peat with a farmy edge wrapped around a malty core, wine finish peaks around the edges (gaining ground and integrating more with time), plums, salty depths with a touch of bacon, lots of vanilla, a little wood ash. After adding a few drops of water, the wine gains some ground, pushing the peat towards the background,

Taste: wine is present throughout, malty sweetness undergirds everything, transitioning into smooth caramel, followed by a burst of dry oak and peat near the back. After dilution, the wine becomes much more prominent, though it remains relatively dry, there's an acidic pop alongside the oak at the back, and some vanilla comes out as well.

Finish: bubblegum, moderate wine, vanilla mossy peat, nutty

I think this is a good example of what Caol Ila's peat can be. It's less aggressive than many others on Islay, but still has a great richness. The madeira finish is a bit odd - it actually reads more like some of the red wine finishes I've tried before rather than other fortified wines like sherry or port. It works fairly well on the nose, but doesn't seem quite fitting for the palate. If the peat had come in earlier and more aggressively, it might have worked, but as it stands the oak was doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of keeping the wine in check. The combination of bubblegum and vanilla with peat in the finish is more than a little strange and might be what tips me towards not wanting a whole bottle. Water seems to bring out more of the wine to the exclusion of peat, so I would lean towards leaving it neat.

In a lot of ways I might have been happier if this had been released as an unfinished bourbon cask, especially if cranked up to 50% ABV. This isn't a bad finished whisky per se, I just don't find it particularly compelling.

Scotland 2013: Finlaggan Castle and Caol Ila

My last full day on Islay was, to put it mildly, gorgeous. I also had nothing planned except a tasting at Caol Ila in the early afternoon, which, after the combination of being sick and rushing around for the previous couple of days, was very, very welcome.

I had seen signs for Finlaggen Castle not far from where I was staying. So, after tucking into breakfast, I took a walk down the road.

The gravel road wound up from the highway, slowly wending behind some low hills. I had to carefully cross an number of cattle grids, which were a bit treacherous on foot. Additionally, the road was liberally scattered with sheep droppings, which were, if anything, even worse. The offending sheep were also present and the bleating they raised as I passed by, especially from the rams, was eery and alien. Thankfully they all got out of my way, but it didn't seem like a sure thing.

The vista that opened up was simply stunning. I can see why the Lord the Isles decided to build his castle on the spot. Finlaggan is a gorgeous loch surrounded by low green hills.

The castle itself is built out on a small island close to the lakeshore. While in ruins now, I can imagine that it was a much more impressive sight hundreds of years ago.

I wandered down to the visitor's center, which was closed, and then proceeded back down the road. While the air was still relatively cool and the breeze made it a bit nippy, walking in the bright summer sun felt absolutely divine.

After getting back to the Ballygrant Inn and collecting my bike, I rode out the few miles to Caol Ila. The distillery is only a few miles from Port Askaig, on a small bay looking out across the Sound of Islay to Jura.

The weather started to get a bit dicey, so it was a nice time to slip inside the visitor's center. Unfortunately the distillery was undergoing a refurbishment while I was on Islay, so I was unable to get a proper tour. However, it was interesting to see the stills in the process of being rebuilt. It's unsurprising that the place needs some work, as their production has roughly doubled in the last ten years, going from 3.5 million liters in 2002 to 6.5 million last year. This is a huge amount of spirit, but the demands of Johnnie Walker are never-ending.

The very tall neck of a still

One of the windows had been removed to allow access to the giant stills

I was, however, able to try some of their whisky in one of the old warehouses (most of their spirit is shipped by tanker truck to the mainland for filling and aging). The Premium Tasting included their standard 12, 18, and 25 Year expressions along with the new make spirit, an Unpeated release (14 Year, I think?), and a very special sherry cask. I can't give you detailed tasting notes, just general impressions. The new make was very piney, with hints of peat and plastic. While not as bad as Bowmore's, it wasn't particularly enjoyable. The 12 Year was basically the same as I remembered it. The 18 Year was an improvement, but it was hard for me to find much more in it. Thankfully I'll get to retry it under less hurried circumstances soon, as I bought a Caol Ila Collection, which contains a small bottle of the 18 Year in it. The 25 Year was up next, but again, it just didn't quite tickle my fancy. The unpeated Caol Ila tasted like it was from first-fill ex-bourbon casks. It was alright, but tasted mostly like a very smooth barrel proof bourbon. Not bad, just slightly unremarkable.

The last up was a 24 year old first-fill sherry cask with a very strange story. If I remember it correctly, the cask was found in a corner of one of the warehouses where whisky destined for the Bell's blend are kept. There were no records of the cask, which was highly suspect as the regulations surrounding alcohol are very tight. This led to a suspicion that the warehouse staff had been attempting to steal it back in the late 1980s, but chickened out. Thankfully the staff at Caol Ila were able to get it shipped back to the distillery. The Premium Tasting is the only way anyone gets to try it - none of the cask will be bottled and when it's gone, it's gone. I've never tried anything else like it. Again, I don't have precise notes, but I was struck by how well the distillery character still shown through the sherry. After my tasting at Ardbeg, it was clear how much first-fill casks can overwhelm even very peated whisky, so it was a pleasant surprise to find that this one was very balanced. The sherry had taken up more of a savory mode, rather than being a fruit bomb. This worked very well with Caol Ila's herbal smoke, planting it in the same league as the 1983/2012 Duncan Taylor I tried last year.

After the tasting wrapped up, it was time to pack up and head back to Ballygrant. The climb back up to the main road was a bit rough, especially because it was starting to periodically rain again, but I didn't mind too much. I took it easy for the rest of the day and went to bed early, because I had a long, strange day ahead of me.

Whisky Review: Duncan Taylor Dimensions Caol Ila 29 Year 1983/2012

Caol Ila is Diageo's workhorse distillery for making peated whisky. While not as highly regarded as their other distilleries on Islay, Lagavulin or the dearly-departed Port Ellen, there are those who think it's just as good with the right amount of age. Previously I had only tried their basic 12 Year, which was tasty but not a stand-out. This, however, was another matter entirely.

I was lucky enough to attend the PDXWhisky tasting last April where this was served and take a sample home for more thorough evaluation later. It's not every day that you get to taste something that was distilled only a few months before you were born.

Duncan Taylor Dimensions Caol Ila 29 Year 1983/2012

Nose: gentle earthy peat, wood ash, toasted oak, dirty lemon, caramel, apples/pears, berries/wine, creamy, herbal, a touch of bacon. After adding a few drops of water, the peat and oak merge, more malt and lemon come out, the caramel becomes very creamy.

Taste: sweetness, pepper, berries, and citric tang hit with piercing intensity immediately and stay throughout, followed by vinegar, polished oak and robust peat, which are joined by sweet malt, salt, and caramel going into the finish. After dilution, the palate becomes even more lemony and malty, some vanilla and cacao come out, with oak, pepper, and peat taking a bit of a back seat, while the peat becomes more industrial.

Finish: citric, light peat and malt, caramel, polished oak, salt, berry residue, a touch of bacon.

This whisky was, to put it mildly, a stunner. While I can't nail down any info, I have a feeling it was aged in either a first- or second-fill bourbon barrel. The caramel notes are almost off the charts, though there is less vanilla than you might expect. Most importantly, everything felt perfectly in balance, despite the intensity of the flavors. Secondly, even though this was bottled at a fairly hefty 53.8%, the alcohol barely makes itself known. Smoothness has never been a trait I've been particularly interested in when it comes to whisk(e)y, but this one has it in spades.

Really, the only downside to this whisky is that it's more or less all gone. While older Caol Ilas are more abundant than some other distilleries due to their volume, it's still not the easiest thing to find (especially at a reasonable price). I could happily drink this whisky for a long, long time, especially when the weather is cool. But that also makes me very thankful to have been able to try as much as I did.

Whisky Review: Classic Malts Isles of Scotland Collection

This is one of Diageo's 3x200 mL sets that collect whiskies from their Classic Malts under some sort of theme. This set pulls together their whiskies from the islands of Skye and Islay, which share some similarities in production methods and flavor. However there are some major differences, such as the six years between the youngest and the oldest whisky in this pack.

The packaging is absolutely top-notch and would make a fantastic gift for any whisky-loving friend as you get to try three different whiskies for roughly the price of one. And importantly for me, it's the only one of the Classic Malts sets that I've seen for sale in the United States, via City Wine Cellar in Staten Island, NY. If you've been looking to sample some fine peated whiskies, this is a very reasonable way to do so.

Talisker 10 Year Old 

Nose: mild but definitely present vegetal peat, briny, roasted vegetables, dry-ish, ripe apples, ash/cigarettes, light honied malt, brown/wood sugar, caramel, slightly charred oak, a hint of sherry and vanilla. After adding a few drops of water, the nose becomes earthier, with more of a barbecue note and a touch of balsamic vinegar, creamier and with a stronger sherry presence

Taste: honied, then sugary malt up front, then a touch of sherry and fruit, brine, and a dash of black pepper, followed by mild vegetal/smokey peat and oak tannins. After dilution, the flavors become more integrated, with the sweetness extending back and the peat extending forward on the palate, a definite raspberry note develops mid-palate, plus more tannic oak

Finish: mild peat, slightly bitter, off-dry sherry (amontillado?), lingering pepper. After dilution some floral notes emerge, with more subdued peat and pepper

Talisker 10 is bottled at their traditional 45.8% ABV. The distillery peats its malt to a relatively high 20 PPM, which is about half of the level of the other two Islay whiskies. Though oddly, one time that I was sampling this whisky, the peat seemed to almost disappear after adding water, leaving something that reminded me strongly of Hazelburn.

I've gotten to try this one before and my more hurried impression jibes fairly well with what I got out of the whisky after more time. I've also tried its more sherried sibling, Talisker Distiller's Edition, and they're an interesting contrast. Now I can definitely see how the underlying malt is modified by the extra aging in amaroso sherry casks. The basic Talisker malt seems to get just a hint of fruitiness that reminds me of sherry, which suggests that there's at least a little bit of sherried malt in there already. However, I also feel like the DE gets slightly better cask selection, with more robust flavors than its more humble sibling. Given that the Distiller's Edition can go for as little as $15 more than the 10 Year, I'd say its worth putting up the extra cash, especially if you like the peat/sherry combo.

Caol Ila 12 Year Old

Nose: lighter, more refined vegetal peat, a touch of sweet barbecue, gentle brine, almonds/marzipan, bread/pastry, fruity bubblegum, lemon verbena, pine/juniper, rubbery malt. After adding some water, it becomes maltier and earthier, with spritz cookies and a bit of soap or fresh laundry.

Taste: thin, creamy, sugary, malty sweetness up front, then pine/juniper, black pepper, and mild peat. After dilution, it becomes sweeter and more integrated, with the malt and peat extending further back and forward, respectively, overlapping with the black pepper.

Finish: light peat/malt, a trace of bitter cacao, residual pepper, a hint of lemon

Caol Ila is a new one for me and it's quite the treat to try this Islay whisky. The distillery is located in Port Askaig near the northeast corner of the island, just down the road from Bunnahabhain. Established in 1846, the distillery initially did not fare well, but has gone on to become one of the most productive distilleries on the island, providing the bulk of Diageo's peated whisky needs. The entry-level version is bottled at 43%, like most of the Dieageo's single malts. Unlike the other two whiskies in this set, Caol Ila 12 comes from whisky aged entirely in ex-bourbon casks, without any sherry influence. While there is a bit of fruitiness, the focus is definitely on the interaction between the malt and peat. I was particularly intrigued by the pine/juniper notes I found in the whisky, which gives it a gin/genever sort of quality. I was also pleased at how well it stood up to dilution, given the relatively low bottling strength. Overall, a very tasty single malt that makes me look forward to digging into the Caol Ila Collection I picked up recently, which includes the Cask Strength and 18 Year Old versions alongside the standard 12 Year Old.

Lagavulin 16 Year Old

Nose: very delicate, creamy, vegetal peat, underlying richness, light oloroso sherry with a bit of sweetness, slightly malty, brine, barbecue. After adding water, the barbecue moves forward, with some meaty bacon, smokier, less vegetal peat, greenish malt/oats, and floral/fruity sherry.

Taste: sherry/wine/vinegar sweet/sour up front, then berries, black pepper and malt, followed by vegetal/ashy peat and mild oak. After dilution, the opening becomes more sweetly fruity, which lingers throughout the sip, the peat retreats slightly and becomes more vegetal than smoky, and the oak becomes more bitter.

Finish: black pepper, sherry, a touch of peat, anise, and oak tannins

Lagavulin is Diageo's second Islay distillery. The distillery was founded in 1816 in the town of Port Ellen, alongside two other well-known Islay distilleries, Ardbeg and Laphroaig. Its history with the latter is particularly convoluted, as there were numerous conflicts between Lagavulin and Laphroaig, with an attempt made in 1908 and continuing until 1962 within Lagavulin to copy Laphroaig's whisky with an operation called Malt Mill. The unrealized goal was to push Laphroaig out of business, but it was obviously unsuccessful and Malt Mill was folded back into Lagavulin when the distillery was rebuilt in the 1960s.

For much of Lagavulin's recent history, the 16 year old expression was the only one available. The passing of the 1990s brought out the Pedro Ximenez-finished Distiller's Edition, which was later joined by a cask-strength 12 year old, in addition to sporadic 20+ year old special releases. Through it all the 16 YO has formed the core of the brand and its not hard to see why. While both Lagavulin and Caol Ila get their peated malt (~35 PPM) from Port Ellen and the final whiskies are bottled at the same 43% ABV, their products are very different. Lagavulin has been smoothed by by its extra four years in oak, as well as the addition of sherry cask-aged whisky into the mix. While Caol Ila is comparatively fresh and malty, Lagavulin seems more august, with more barbecue-like peat and the rich fruitiness of sherry.

Overall, if you haven't tried any of the whiskies in this collection, I would highly recommend picking it up. It's a great way to get to compare a very fine set of peating whiskies without spending too much money. I don't think I can pick a favorite out of the bunch as they all have their charms, but the Talisker and Lagavulin might edge out the Caol Ila by a hair. I'll be very interested to try Caol Ila 18 and see if a few extra years in oak give it some extra body to help compete with the sherried richness of the other two. However, in terms of value, I think the Talisker wins among this bunch as it has exceedingly good balance and the lowest price point out of the three. The Lagavulin was very good, but I'm not sure if it's sufficiently better to make me want to pay for a full bottle.