NYT-1201: STATE OF THE ART A Thermostat That's Clever, Not ...

ottle, was less bracing and mellower. The smokine
ss was more of an undercurrent, amplifying its flo
ral, honey and meadowlike qualities.
We found similar distinctions in comparing two oth
er pairs of bottles that made our list. Our No. 2
bottle, the Ardbeg Corryvreckan, was huge and robu
st, with layers of complex flavors. Smokiness was
only a small part of the majestic picture. Its 10year-old
sibling, the No. 4 bottle, was likewise c
omplex, but emphasized a briny, smoky, almost ocea
nic quality.
Our No. 3 bottle, the Lagavulin Distillers Edition
1993, showed the warm, burnished complexity of ag
e with a spicy, raisiny fruitcake quality that per
haps attests to time spent in barrels previously u
sed for sweet sherry. The basic Lagavulin 16 Years
, our No. 10, though not appreciably younger, was
much less complex, mildly smoky with both savory a
nd sweet flavors. I must say that, as a fan of Lag
avulin 16 Years, which I remember as so robust it
demanded a bit of water for sipping, this example
seemed a bit meek.
The bottles rounding out our list show the range o
f Islay. Bruichladdich, No. 7, was the gentlest, m
ost delicate malt, with sweet notes of butterscotc
h. Caol Ila, No. 9, was huge and oily in texture,
smoky yet fresh, too. In the middle was Bowmore, N
o. 8, rich, balanced, moderate, delicious nonethel
ess.
That leaves the new guy, Kilchoman, which began pr
oduction in 2005. Its Spring 2011 Release was one
of the youngest in our tasting, if you do the arit
hmetic, yet it was superb, fresh and complex with
plenty of smoke.
Bunnahabhain was the only Islay distillery not on
our top-10 list, and although Florence and Flavien
loved the 18-year-old (the $97 bottle), it barely