Lagavulin 12 Year (2016 Special Release)

I believe this may be the palest dram ive ever seen, this must be what most 12 year olds really look like without added coloring... non chill-filtered and near cask strength to boot, perfect craft presentation! The nose erupts with sweet charcoal, cherry-cola BBQ pulled pork, toasted seaweed and fresh sawn split-rail fencing (a different milieu entirely)... Without added water the palate shows alarmingly sweet and intense with a rush of winter spices. Tempered down closer to 40%: stewed apples and clove. The finish applauds with fresh pine and it's resin, smoked citrus, even prickles of cracked black peppercorn, but toasted malt runs furthest. Surprisingly syncopated to the standard 16 year bottling! Honor due for the sample, as usual, to our psychotherapeutic Pranay (AKA: PB&J Minnesota Honey-badger). Dry glass: freshly turned earth.

It’s time for me to come out of the closet. I’m sure somebody, somewhere may think of me as a suave connoisseur of fine whisky, but I’m here to tell you this is simply not the case. As a self-indulgent whisky swiller, I typically drink from a cylindrical vessel some might describe as a small ice bucket. Of course, I do have a Glencairn tasting glass that gets used for official business, but this is seldom needed. In addition, my receptacle is usually filled to the brim with ice. I know, to some, this might seem sacrilegious, but I can assure you this methodology has been born out of necessity. You see, my whisky is often consumed alongside a Cohiba Esplendido, and anyone familiar with a tightly wrapped Cuban knows they require a lot of attention to stay lit. Now, our cigar club gets together most Wednesday nights, and our gracious host believes the concept of ventilation is overrated, so seeing each other from across the table is near impossible. Given these circumstances, one’s mouth can feel like a LaFerrari revving at 9,250 rpm and air cooling just doesn’t cut it. I know Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible rates whiskies based on 4 criteria: nose, taste, finish, & balance, but I would like to recommend a 5th category called “resiliency,” because my whisky needs to finish through a pound of ice and a Cuban smokescreen. I need a good amount of oil and water to keep my engine running smoothly and my go-to, Lagavulin 16 on ice, does this for me. After finishing the drink, I will add half a bottle of Poland Spring’s water to the spent ice and enjoy the best glass of peated ice water that money can buy and the only way I‘ve found to produce it. It’s not easy solving all the problems of the world in one short get-together, but we will continue to do our best for your family’s sake and the sake of mankind for as long as humanly possible. Oh….by the way….the Lagavulin 12yo is divine and very similar to my review of the Lagavulin 8. Of course, it comes in a little hotter with a natural cask strength ABV of 57.7%, but who’s complaining……Enjoy!

My first cask strength Lagavulin, and it was far from disappointing. I could smell the glass 15 feet across the room. You get a ton of peat here, but it wasn't as "earthy/smokey" as the 16. Was I missing anything? Not at all. I gained a touch of light fruit and smooth malt. Some ash qualities too, but not at all off putting. A very, very nice glass I enjoyed more than the Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength. Pricey if you can find it still though! 1/27/2018 - Re-review! I had to do a double take on this proper bottle. The first notes on the nose I got were cotton candy, bananas, and bubble gum. Sweet and strange, but it looks like the distiller reviewers got a similar vibe. The palate is intense and bring tropical coconut, pineapple, and sweet cream along with the peat. This finish from the cask strength goes on forever and I love it. Still a solid 4.75. The only thing they could add is some sherry or spicier notes, but I am quite content. The theme to the dram should be a powerhouse. I am thinking "Bonded by Blood" by Exodus.