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    • finlaggan old reserve

    Finlaggan Old Reserve 73
    Distillery
    Finlaggan
    Style
    Single Malt
    Release
    Unspecified
    Age
    Unspecified
    Alcohol
    40% abv.
    Region
    Scotland, Islay
    Bottled For
    Distillery

    Finlaggan is very much the secret Islay, as the name of the distillery from which it comes is a closely guarded secret and known to only a select few. Only those who have sampled Islay malts over a long period and who are familiar with the subtle differences of nose and taste, could begin to guess at the pedigree of this true son of Islay.

    review by anonymous

    82
    Color
    warm amber
    Nose
    light peat and earthy
    Body
    soft, somewhat light with a satisfying aftertaste -- more refreshing than most Spesides
    Palate
    complex and hard to pin down -- subtle
    Finish
    not as warm as expected but also not harsh

    I like this whisky. Am not an expert, but have been to Scotland several times and have tasted my share

    review by commander whitehead

    92
    Color
    Pale amber
    Nose
    so much like an Islay four times the cost!
    Body
    Robust, mouth feel of a fine brandy or cornac,superb
    Palate
    smoke,peat,sea foam, with a touch of black oak
    Finish
    Long finish, so much like Lagavulin it is scary

    Two fingers can be enjoyed by the fireside with a good book,I loved it!

    review by anonymous

    50
    Color
    amber
    Nose
    Horrid hospital iodine
    Body
    Bites and then I pucker and wish I never tried it.
    Palate
    Just as well drink gasoline
    Finish
    Long and strong, and with this scotch whiskey, long is a bad thing.

    I tried it briefly and poured it down the drain.

    review by anonymous

    80
    Color
    Lagavulin
    Nose
    Lagavulin
    Body
    Lagavulin
    Palate
    Lagavulin - with a bit more smoke and lacking a hint of richness
    Finish
    Lagavulin - slightly shorter and drier than the 16 year old.

    I actually have two bottles of Finlaggan - one of them is the 40% "Old Reserve", which is unabashedly and unmistakably Lagavulin. The silliness about the "most secret distillery" is all utter rubbish. There is no mystery, other than its age. Compared to the standard 16-year bottling of Lagavulin, I'd guess this at ~12-14 years, since it doesn't quite have the same richness or length of finish. Now the other bottle I have truly _is_ a mystery. It's a cask strength (56%) bottling, which is both (a) unrecognisable, and (b) undrinkable. It is horrible, HORRIBLE stuff--not just poor or bland, but aggressively unpleasant, unbalanced, and just plain nasty. Everyone who has tried it agrees--we'd rather be drinking cheap rye than this cask bottling. If 50 is the lowest score, than that's what this would get. However, it galls me to assign a value of 50 to this stuff. AVOID!

    review by anonymous

    85
    Color
    dark amber
    Nose
    peaty, earthy, farmlike; smells like the Irish countryside, smokey, verdant
    Body
    full, astringent, dense. I absolutely love the way this stuff smells; I regularly put my face into the glass and inhale.
    Palate
    peat, iodine, smoke, grassland
    Finish
    The finish is warm and long. It has an enjoyable aftertaste which subsides very gradually.

    Admittedly, I'm not a scotch connossieur. I've come to this recently and have drunk some example of speyside, some blendeds, some Kentucky bourbons (some cheap, some expensive) but this is the most interesting and satisfying bottle I have in my bar. I've gone through 2 bottles and stocked up on a few more, The taste and smell are not to everyone's tastes, but if you like complexity and something which tastes organic/of the earth and soil, this is a good place to start.

    review by anonymous

    81
    Color
    Golden
    Nose
    Heavy smoke, earthy, grassy
    Body
    Smooth
    Palate
    sea salt, the moor
    Finish
    Warm to the end, dry after taste

    I disagree with some of the other reviewers. This is pretty good islay and you can't beat the price at Trader Joe's. I may have an overwhelming bite at first, but when opened up with a tablespoon of room-temp water and left to breathe for a moment, it's quite delightful.

    review by anonymous

    63
    Color
    amber, slightly pale
    Nose
    Smoky but a sharp petro distillate background, like creosote. Yes, I get the "rubber tires" too.
    Body
    med. full
    Palate
    Tastes better than it smells. Has a bite but not too much. Can't compare to Jamesons or Bushmill for smoothness. No more raw than Knob Creek.
    Finish
    A good long finish.

    I drink Irish & US whiskies mostly. I don't prefer the smoky scotch but I can appreciate it done well. This isn't it. It has a lot of flavor but the aroma is off in a big way.

    review by jsokol

    51
    Color
    Light Amber
    Nose
    strong peat aroma mixed with fresh manure and compost
    Body
    raw and dangerous.
    Palate
    Rubber Tires, Aluminum pots, horse dung, high discordant,
    Finish
    more of the same, oxalic acid

    Very strong peat but mixed with other stuff. This is barely drinkable, Not smooth at all. Really jarring and unenjoyable.