Tastes

First, while not a component of my rating, let me wax philosophic about the beauty of this labeling. It's elegant, the simple label and a bold silver stags head. Lovely. Now on to the whiskey. Nose features notes of aromatic tobacco, sweet, rich dark fruity aromas come through in prominence. The effect reminds of smelling the jars at a fine tobacco shop. Flavors echo the same dark fruits, warming, rich but approachable.

Not bad, but strong notes of raw alcohol gives an almost vodka like quality to this whisky, and odds are if you're a whisky drinker, you aren't big on vodka.

Nose starts dry before a burst of sweet and citrus. Citrus is surprisingly absent in the flavor, which is earthier, warming.

Pepper and spice in the nose. Soft on the palate, with a big burst of spice and rye in the finish.

Citrus and vanilla in the nose. Not as much sweetness in the flavor, with a subtle flavor of oranges. Moderately soft flavor, not complex, but nice. A good entry "sippin'" bourbon.

Ah, such a soft smokiness to this...the combination of such a smoky flavor with so soft a palate is rare. A big burst of floral notes as well, at the midpoint between first touch and the finish. Nothing monstrous here. Rather than a roaring inferno, this is the crackling embers of the fire, still warm and oh so inviting.

It's irresistible to compare this to Lagavulin's flagship 16 year offering; however, rather than a younger sibling, this is more akin to a cousin. Yes, it features the smokiness of the 16, but it lacks the incredible richness, some of which is made up for with the cask strength bottling. Don't get me wrong...it's still a very fine whisky, but those four years impart a lot of maturity and refinement. Unless you have money to blow, why pay $50 more than the 16 costs, when it's darn near perfection? Well, I didn't...I'll happily accept this birthday gift. If you really like this whisky, but want to spend half as much, I'd recommend trying the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, which lacks a lot of the more astringent aspects of Laphroaig but is otherwise quite similar to the Lagavulin 12.

Pours a pale gold with a strong, smoky nose, with a touch of citrus. Smoke is less prevalent in the flavor, but still a significant contribution. I really like the elevated proof of this one...not the most complex whisky, but with added potency in the bottling.

A little spicy and vanilla in the nose. More complex sweet flavors, vanilla again but balanced with other sweet notes. Good, but short in the finish, which is the weakness of the whisky.