Lagavulin 12 Year (2017 Special Release)

Rank: 4 Year: 2017 Score: 94 Price: $130 ABV: 56.5% Style: Single Malt Place of Origin: Scotland (Islay)

This cut through spicy food and a strong cigar. Be prepared for an assault on your tongue.

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.