Description
A 10 year old bottle of Lagavulin whisky. Bottled by Moon Import as part of their Horae Solaris series, a collection of 7 single malts, all labelled with antique cartography. Distilled in 1988 and bottled by Moon Import as a 10-year-old whisky in 1998. This bottling is particularly prized among collectors and connoisseurs. A run of just 1300 bottles, this is bottle number 636.
Moon Import was founded in Genoa, by Pepi Mongiardino in 1980 and quickly became famous as an importer and distributor of high quality wines and spirits. Heeding the advice of the late, great, Silvano Samaroli, he opted to be “free from the big companies,” and became the official distributor for Islay’s Bruichladdich, and later Tamnavulin and Tullibardine, preferring however to procure casks from private owners. Mongiardino bottled his first whisky in 1982, titled the Half Moon series. Always beautifully labelled, Pepi is acclaimed for designing the packaging for Moon Import bottles himself, using images found in old books. The famous Birds, Animals, Costumes and Sea series were all labelled using pictures he discovered in an 18th century German encyclopaedia. These iconic designs, coupled with the quality of the liquid saw Moon Import steadily grow in popularity, and with the help of Intertrade founder, Nadi Fiori, they exported their first bottles to Japan in 2001.
Colour: White wine.
Nose:
This version is so pure that it really displays the distillery’s differences with its neighbours, more elegant, in a certain way. Gooseberries, fresh citrus fruits, green apples and cherries mixed with peat smoke, almond milk, wet earth and a subtle sweetness reminiscent of honey and vanilla. In the background, spicy hints of cedarwood, pine needles, and pepper can be detected and give it striking depth. Peated elegance.
Taste:
The attack is uber-sharp and uber-clean. Oily, and smooth, with a balanced combination of sweetness, smoke, and maritime notes. Pure peat smoke and salty warmth characterize the first impression, followed by a surprising fruitiness with notes of pears, ripe green apples, lemon peel, grapefruit and dried dates. A subtle malty undertone resonates, the mouthfeel remains silky and full-bodied.
Finish:
Long, warming, and complex. A lingering smoky film lingers on the tongue, accompanied by charred wood, menthol, and spices. A hint of salty sea breeze mingles with ash, honey, and delicate herbal notes unfold, rounding out the overall picture and leaving a lasting impression.
