Lagavulin 12 Year (2017 Special Release)

PRICE: $100-160 INFO: Single malt Scotch whisky from Islay. This is an annual Diageo cask strength special release. It is aged 12 years in refill American oak bourbon casks. ABV ranges from the mid to high 50s. While I recently tried the 2017 at a tasting, I do not own a bottle. The bottle I currently have open and am sampling from is the 2014, at 54.4% ABV. There is definite variation from year-to-year, but the review will be a general one for all the 12 year releases. NOSE: 91/100. Peat you can smell from a mile away. It’s midway between the burnt flowers of the 8 year, and the burnt barbequed meat of the 16, but it is monumentally more powerful than either. There is no balance. The top note is peat, the middle note is peat, and the base note is peat. It is hard to get passed it, but why would you want to? If you wait long enough, and with a good drop of water, you may get some feeble floral buttery notes as your nose gets acclimated to all the smokiness. PALATE: 96/100. Bruce Banner when he’s angry comes to mind. This is hot, salty, and spicy. But more than anything else, it is like spent charcoal embers. It needs water in order to get any amount of complexity out of it. When it opens up, you get pine needles, tree bark, and lemon peels. All, of course, are being burnt by coal. The sweetness is corrupted by iodine, and I am reminded of anatomy class. How this can be so delicious is almost frightening. I am pretty sure this is carcinogenic, above and beyond from ethanol alone. FINISH: 93/100. Lagavulin 16 has one of the best finishes of any whisky, and this falls somewhat short. It does not have the savory, meaty smoke that lasts forever. This smoke is more menthol, floral, and ashy. There are some other notes, but really, who cares? This dram is all about the smoke. OVERALL: If you love peat, Lagavulin 12 is near perfection. So much more density compared to the 8 year old, and so much more power when compared to the 16. Comparing recent vintages, 2015 and 2016 are probably the most nuanced and balanced. 2013 and 2014 are much more out to punch you in the face. The 2017 is probably somewhere in between. Movie pairing: A Monster Calls. Liam Neeson as the monster, and the unrelenting emotional weight of the movie is appropriate. MARK: 94/100. VALUE FOR MONEY: You can get 2 bottles of the other quintessential Islay malt for the price of this. My recommendation is work overtime and buy 2 bottles of Laphroaig 10 CS, and 1 bottle of this.

With this 12 year, I've now owned all 4 of the standard Lag bottlings (though I suppose it's technically a special release). This 2017 had some of the best marks in this line, so I figured it would be worth the high cost. Lagavulin has yet to let me down, so naturally, my expectations are high. Nose: Quite a bit going on here. The first thing that jumps out at me are the big citrus notes. Heavy lemon and maybe even a slight grapefruit. Candied orange; more sweet than citrusy. Behind that are some sweeter notes: honey, vanilla, coconut, and honeydew. Apricot and toffee as well. Agave. It's very peaty though the smoke is more of a background note. The Islay characteristics come instead in the form of sea salt and iodine. Almond and heavily salted cashew. Some light cinnamon, no doubt a product of the high ABV, but far less than you'd expect of a 56.5% whisky. Other than that, there is not a trace of alcohol detectable under the layers of complex aromas. Superb. Palate: Creamy but also oily. Here, the classic Lagavulin campfire smoke makes itself available. The big citrus notes are still present, though it's mostly lemon now. There is also quite a bit of black pepper spice. Iodine, ash, and sea salt are still present, as well as vanilla, custard, toffee, and honey. Red apple and raisin. Rich dark chocolate is prominent, one of my favorite features of Lagavulin. Behind that is a bit of mint chocolate. Salted caramel comes on strong at the back end of the palate. It drinks as though it's a far lower proof yet maintains the cask strength character throughout. Phenomenal. Finish: Long. Initially, I'm hit with smoked salmon, one of the most unique and satisfying notes I've ever gotten. After that, it's back to dark and mint chocolate and salted caramel with a couple slices of Granny Smith apple. Dinner and dessert. Cinnamon and black pepper take over once the sweetness fade, carrying the finish off into sunset. It just doesn't get any better. No plot twists here. This is an easy 5 stars. Having already had the 16 and 8, I must say that this one fits perfectly in between the two. The 12 captures the brash youth of the 8 and adds some of the refined characteristics one can only achieve with age. Heavy citrus, smoke, and spice meet dessert rich confectionery sweetness and dark fruit. Throw in the fact that its cask strength and a nice of piece of smoked salmon, and this is quite easily one of the best whiskies I have ever had. Even at $130, I'd do it again, and I think you should, too.

I bought a sample of this recently, and expected actually to be disappointed since this is on the lower end of the Diageo special release offerings. They reserve the highest prices for their least accessible ones like Brora. In this case, low price and readily accessible doesn't mean lower quality. I think I've had maybe 1 or 2 of their Lagavulin special releases over the years, and none really stood out. This one is a different beast. Simply amazing! Maybe the best Lagavulin I've had ( which, quite transparently only includes 2 special releases, the 16, their 8 yr old, and a few DLs). Amazing combination of sweet honey and charcoal barbecued meats; chocolate over campfire; a bit of Mezcal style minerality...all in all, amazing. For the price (approx $100), it's a no-brainer must buy. You can do a whole lot worse for much more, but not any better for any less. Stunning craftsmanship. I'm really not one to write here to "go get some"...but frankly, go get this one. Worth every penny.

Whisky mountain top Half-full bottle, open 2 months Nose: smoke, brine, cream, vanilla Taste: VERY Viscous, citrus, salt-water, ash Finish: long, sweet cream, ash Value: Best whisky experience I've had. I already bought a back-up. Every time I pick up a different bottle for my whisky journey and see this on the shelf, I get a little sick to my stomach when I leave it there. Hours have been spent ruminating about going to the various package stores which still have this bottle and spending my wife's paycheck. 5.0 - go out and buy all of the stock you can find. 4.0 - must buy at least one bottle before you die. 3.0 - solid, must try at a bar, or mooch from a friend. 2.0 - didn't like it, you may. 1.0 - you may have the palate of my dog, and he licks his own ass.

This is beautiful. An absolute stunner. The nose is one of the best I’ve ever smelled. If you can believe it, coming from a big Islay malt, it is is so incredibly creamy and rich. Once you acclimatize to the campfire peat, you are left with the most delicious smelling vanilla custard and some light citrus, like a lemon custard pie. I was blown away; nothing like the 16 or 8. The creamy nature follows through in the palate. It is not delicate because of the abv, but it is creamy, oily, and mouth coating. The citrus is more pronounced and most definitely lemon now. The peat comes back on the finish, which is long, rich, luxurious. Absolutely one of my favourite drams ever.

Nose - smoked meat, pineapple, and perhaps lemon. Lightly smoked oak as well. Alcohol is certainly here but it's mellow and at 56.5% it's very approachable on the nose. Taste - there's a weird umami taste off profile but wonderful. Sweet lagavulin malt. I always get a touch of a bannana but not in a young and youthful way. Smoked fruits and meats, perhaps a pig roast and pinapple but there's that umami note. I really am enjoying this 2017 for a 12 year and reasonably priced bottle. Back when it came out at least. 3.0 and I'd buy it again.