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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- Benriach 33 yo 1977 / 2011 #9119 45.7% for Asta Morris vs Benriach 35 yo 1976 / 2012 #8804 54.9%
- Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition 1994 / 2010 lgv.4/498 43% vs Lagavulin Friends of the Classic Malts 12 yo 1995 / 2008 48%
- Glen Grant 27 yo 1955 / 1982 Samaroli 43% vs Glenury Royal 24 yo 1966 / 1990 Cadenhead 53.8%
- Lochside 22 yo 1979 / 2001 Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask 276 bttls 50% vs Lochside 32 yo 1982 / 2014 Malts of Scotland #14019 55.2% vs Lochside 29 yo 1981 / 2010 Thosop 50.5%
- St Magdalene 25 yo 1964 / 1989 Cadenhead 44.2% vs St Magdalene 23 yo 1970 Rare Malts 58.43%
- Caol Ila 15 yo Sestante for Novecento 64.7% vs Caol Ila 15 yo Sestante 65.3%
- Glen Garioch 25 yo 1990 / 2017 LMdW ‘Artist #7’ Cask #2694 52.3% vs Glen Garioch 1968 29 yo 1968 #625 57.2%
- Clynelish 90 yo 1972 / 2002 Scotch Malt Sales 58% vs Clynelish 23 yo 1974 / 1998 Rare Malts 59.1%
- Scapa 12 yo 40% ~2000 vs Scapa 8 yo Gordon & Macphail 57% ~ late 80s
- Bruichladdich 21 yo 1992 / 2014 Duncan Taylor #3987 49.7% vs Bruichladdich 22 yo 1991 / 2014 Gleann Mor #2270 55.9%
