While I continue my new distillery exploration, it’s time for a doubleheader with this review of the Lagg Kilmory and Corriecravie editions. We are still in the Lowlands technically, though many would argue that, at least geographically, this whisky is self-evidently an Island whisky. The style certainly doesn’t conform to the Lowland archetype, being peated and heavy. I have tried both of these before as samples and written about the distillery’s history in my Lagg tour post. So today no introduction or further fluff, I am diving straight into the review.
TL:DR: More youthful than young and already rich, complex and full of personality. Lagg is setting the bar high for other new distilleries.
Score*: 7, Very good stuff
Lagg Kilmory Edition
Specs
Price paid: €66.50
Lot/bottled date: L2 22 05 23
ABV: 46%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: 3 yeas in first fill Bourbon
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale straw, almost clear.
Nose: Youthful but not hot. It opens on a lactic yoghurt note, green apple, ripe kiwi, mint, wet hay, and clear peatiness. Let’s talk about the peat for a second: if Islay peat is medicinal, Lagg’s peat brings me back to my university days. There is a noticeable woody ash note and then a chemistry lab smell. There is some spice in the form of white pepper and fennel seeds, some maritime seaspray and a touch of toasted almonds. For such a young whisky the complexity is impressive.
Taste & Finish: The palate is more youthful and a bit hot. It is a weighty spirit. The new make character is noticeable, with that typical pear schnapps taste, but the ashy peat, some pepper spice, maritime almost saline notes, almonds and apple keep it in check to a certain extent.
The finish is long, slightly astringent, dominated by the peat, some apple and a finishing touch of maritime salinity.
Score*: 6.5, Good stuff, will get better with a little extra age.
The youth on the palate brings the score down slightly, but this is impressive even for a young whisky. It is rich and complex beyond its age and already shows an individual character. The price I paid reflects both the reality of Italian pricing (vs. countries like Germany and the Netherlands) and the fact that I grabbed this at release. Meanwhile, the price has adjusted towards a more reasonable 50€.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Lagg Corriecravie Edition
Specs
Price paid: €63.02
Lot/bottled date: L2 07 07 23
ABV: 55%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: 3 years in first fill Bourbon + 6 months in Oloroso (90% first fill, 10% second fill)
Tasting Notes
Colour: Golden amber
Nose: Considering there are just an additional 6 months in sherry here vs the Kilmory it is impressive how the aromas change while the peaty core remains the same. Smoked chocolate, plums and then a lot of spice. Cloves, cardamom, pepper then a little BBQ sauce. The woody chemical peat continues to hum in the background. Coastal, with a touch of tobacco to close. Youthful but not young.
Taste & Finish: As with the nose, the extra 6 months in Sherry round up some of the youthfulness. It is undeniably still a young whisky but any heat I may feel comes from the 55% abv and disappears once I dilute my dream a bit. Rich, mouthcoating texture. It is salty, sweet and sour at the same time, and meaty. It makes me think of BBQ jerky. There is some spice, woody peat, a touch of dates and chocolate.
The finish is long, woodsmoke, tobacco, with a touch of sweet dates and chocolate, and a maritime finish.
Score*: 7, Very good stuff
I could be cynical and argue that the Kilmory Edition reflects the true nature of Lagg at the moment and that the Corricravie uses a touch of cask trickery to round up the youth. It wouldn’t be factually inaccurate, but the truth is that the extra 6 months in Oloroso Casks elevates the base spirit by adding a layer of sweetness, spice and richness that brings this young whisky to another level. If this is Lagg at three and a half years old, the future is very bright.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
With the side-by-side review of the Lagg KIlmory and Corriecravie, my exploration of some of the new Scottish distilleries moves beyond the lowlands. Stay tuned.
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the two Lagg releases enjoyed:
Kilmory Edition
Corriecravie Edition
And a side-by-side review from GWhisky
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