White Horse America’s Cup 43% vs Pillaged Malt 10 yo Vatted Malt 57.1% ~ 1st edition bottled 2003
This head to head comes courtesy of a friend who clearly loves Lagavulin.
White Horse America’s Cup 43% ~ 1987
Note this qualifies as a 12 yo Scotch Whisky. It does nose like a blend, but in those days the attention to quality is evident. This is built around a Lagavulin but the white smoke feels clean and bouyant, and it lacks the dry oiliness of Lagavulin. Amazingly not a trace of young grain nor feints. The Lagavulin heart must have been substantial as reverberating echoes of the fantastic 12 yo can be felt here with deep earthy phenols, soot, caked up grime, seawater and catch of the day. Also simple and light enough for easy mindless drinking. 85 pts
Pillaged Malt 10 yo Vatted Malt 57.1% ~ 1st edition bottled 2003
Lagavulin wasn’t made available to independents at that time but cheers for a great cause here. A fund raising team rowed around Islay and ‘pillaged’ malt from Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila and Bowmore which was vatted and bottled at Bruichladdich (in a very Diageo bottle).
Unmistakably heavily peated, but somehow the suggestion of a large Laphroaig and Caol Ila constituent is evident. On the nose its got iodine and a medicinal growl, and also a burning grass and fresh sea weed zing. The tongue it’s where the sweet medicinal, earth and tar start to emerge and it’s gets boisterous. Rooty, salty, liquorice and cough syrup. A bit of a cage match for the heavy peat, good fun for whiskies not really meant to be blended. 88 pts
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- Springbank 23 yo bottled Dec 1991 James MacArthur’s 53.7% vs Ardbeg 17 yo 1976 / 1993 Cadenhead 54.6%
- Glenfarclas over 12 years old F.W Hempel Metallurgical GmbH 45% vs Glenfarclas 25 yo 43%
- Craigellachie 12 yo 2007 / 2019 SMWS 44.113 59.9% vs Talisker 15 yo Special Release 2019 57.3%
- Glen Grant 23 yo 1992 / 2016 Cadenhead 53.1% vs Glentauchers-Glenlivet 26 yo 1990 / 2017 Cadenhead 52.6% vs Fettercairn 28 yo 1988 / 2017 Cadenhead 55.4%
- Old Pulteney 13yo 1990 /2003 Cadenhead 61.1% vs Old Pulteney 18 yo 1974 The Whisky Connoisseur #1132 57.8%
- Glen Moray 24 yo 1992 /2017 Cadenhead 50.9% vs Linkwood 24 yo 1992 / 2017 Cadenhead 50.9%
- Glen Garioch 21 yo 1992 / 2014 Liquid Library 51.6% vs Glen Garioch 21 yo 1991 / 2012 Liquid Library 52.5%
- Teaninich 11 yo 2006 / 2018 Cadenhead 55.2% vs Teaninich 10 yo 2009 / 2019 Cadenhead 55.1%
- Springbank 34 1964 / 1998 Cadenhead 52.2% vs Springbank 30 1972 / 2002 Chieftain’s #410 57.8%
- Glentauchers-Glenlivet 38 yo 1976 / 2015 Cadenhead 50.8% vs Lagavulin 20 yo Feis Ile 2020 54%
