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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- Bowmore 36 yo 1969 / 2006 Duncan Taylor #6090 44% vs Bowmore 16 yo 1984 / 2000 Samaroli #61930 45%
- Longmorn 1972 / 2005 Munchner Whisky-Festival 57.3% vs Longmorn 1973 / 2011 Gordon & Macphail #3228 for Whiskyfair Limburg 58%
- Milroy’s trio: Clynelish 23 yo 1997 / 2021 Milroy’s #12359 53.3% vs Ben Nevis 25 yo 1996 / 2021 Milroy’s #20 47.6% vs Springbank 28 yo 1992 / 2021 Milroy’s #185 50.9%
- Ardbeg ‘Over 10 years old’ for Scoma by Cadenhead 58.5%
- Glen Elgin 25 yo 1995 / 2021 Signatory #3270 52.3% vs Glen Elgin 12 yo 2008 / 2020 The Whisky Exchange #805343 55.8%
- Craigellachie 23 yo 1989 / 2014 SMWS 44.59 ‘Lime marinated grilled chicken’ 51.4% vs Teaninich 21 yo 1999 / 2021 Maltbarn 48.8%
- Oban 24 yo 1989 / 2013 #748 47.8% vs Oban 12 yo Special Release 2021 56.2%
- Bruichladdich 21 yo 1964 / 1986 Intertrade 51.8% vs Bruichladdich 15 yo 1969 / 1985 Intertrade 54%
- Scapa 16 yo 1980 / 1996 Signatory #12085-86 43% vs Highland Park 27 yo 1984 / 2011 Whisky Agency 52.5%
- Caol Ila 1979 / 2010 Prenzlow Portfolio Collection #5294 57.9% vs Caol Ila 20 yo 1981 / 2001 Wilson & Morgan #276 59.2%
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