Lagavulin Tasting Set Feis Ile 2020-2022 Tasting Set (30ml x 3)

Lagavulin Tasting Set Feis Ile 2020-2022 Tasting Set (30ml x 3)

• Lagavulin 20 Year Old Feis ile 2020 Release (30ml, 54%)
• Lagavulin 13 Year Old Port Finish Feis ile 2021 Release (30ml, 56.1%)
• Lagavulin 12 Year Old Virgin American Oak Finish Feis ile 2022 Release (30ml, 57.7%)
  

The Lagavulin Fèis Ìle releases are some of the most anticipated moments in the Islay calendar. While the 2020–2022 period was marked by the global pandemic—shifting the festival from the distillery gates to online "Virtual Fèis"—the quality of the liquid remained uncompromising.

This trilogy represents a fascinating shift from traditional refill wood into special wood, wine and sherry treatments, all while maintaining that unmistakable Lagavulin treats.

Tasting Notes

Lagavulin 20 Year Old Feis ile 2020 Release (54%)

Nose: The sherry influence is immediate but integrated. It opens with black raisins, dried figs, and chocolate pudding. The smoke is there, but it's "damped down" by the wine influence, smelling like sweet tobacco and doused bonfire embers. There’s a distinct herbal lift of mint and eucalyptus that keeps the rich sherry notes from becoming cloying.

Palate: Oily and syrupy (the "PX weight"). The arrival is a burst of honey-roasted figs and dark molasses, followed quickly by a wave of crunchy, ashy peat. Mid-palate, it develops savory layers of smoked meats (bacon) and roasted walnuts, with a hint of orange peel oil.

Finish: Long and deeply warming. The Oloroso nuttiness comes through here with walnuts and marzipan, alongside a lingering leathery tobacco and a final, dry puff of sooty smoke.

Lagavulin 13 Year Old Port Finish Feis ile 2021 Release (56.1%)

Nose: A beautiful tension between sweet and savory. It opens with mucky farmyard notes and damp moss, which quickly give way to sweet peat smoke and butterscotch. The Port influence is subtle but present, offering red grapes, candied oranges, and roasted chestnuts. As it sits, you'll find a medicinal edge—iodine, coal tar soap, and wet bandages.

Palate: Thick and oil-smooth. The arrival is surprisingly sweet with honey and golden syrup, before a wave of damp peat smoke and burning leaves takes over. Mid-palate, it becomes much more savory: smoked meats, blackcurrants, and dark chocolate. There is a spicy "zing" of black pepper and ginger powder that keeps the richness in check.

Finish: Long, warming, and appreciably drying. The smoke turns into a tarry, ashy residue, accompanied by lingering notes of mint, menthol, and nutty oak spice. It leaves a final, savory impression of charred wood and salt.

Lagavulin 12 Year Old Virgin American Oak Finish Feis ile 2022 Release (57.7%)

Nose: Initially quite "green" and wood-forward. It opens with fresh wood shavings, sawdust, and spicy sandalwood. The classic Lagavulin peat is there, but it’s a drier, ashier smoke compared to the medicinal 16-year-old. As it breathes, sweeter notes of butterscotch, toasted coconut, and vanilla pod emerge, along with a bright citrus lift of orange oil.

Palate: The arrival is oily and packs a significant "spice punch." The virgin oak brings immediate notes of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. This sweetness—think maple syrup and crème brûlée—acts as a counterpoint to the heavy, savory bonfire smoke. Mid-palate, it reveals a maritime side with salted caramel and roasted hazelnuts, with a texture that is dense and mouth-coating.

Finish: Long, warming, and decidedly tannic. The smoke persists as black soot and charcoal, but it’s the wood spice that lingers longest, leaving a dry, bitter chocolate and espresso finish.

Why it's special

• The "Virtual Fèis" Era: These bottles are the artifacts of a unique moment in history when the festival went digital. They were released in highly limited quantities via online ballots, making them much harder to source than previous years.

• The Wood Experiments: From the syrup of PX Sherry to the spicy bite of Virgin Oak, this trilogy showcases Lagavulin’s ability to "tame" different wood types without losing its coastal, medicinal identity.

• The Collector’s Vertical: Tasting these three side-by-side provides a masterclass in how age and wood interact with peat. You see the transition from the spicy heat of the 2022 to the refined, dark complexity of the 2020.