Lagavulin 12 Year (2018 Special Release)
Single Malt
Lagavulin // Islay, Scotland
-
Rosencrantz
Reviewed April 24, 2020Barbecue lamb chops and seaweed in profusion invade the nose, with the acrid smoke of the embers pinching the nostrils. Balsamic touch with scorched pine flakes, orange peel. Penetrating without alcoholic burning. And even on the palate the considerable alcohol content pushes the spiciness without overwhelming, enhancing the more marine and brackish aspect of the whisky with the smoke that, although present, withdraws in front of the rising tide. The waves bring sweeter hints, which emerge laboriously bringing orange, licorice, green apple, cardamom. Long finish, of spices, ash, baked sardines, candied orange. Similar yet different from the release of the following year, perhaps less balanced between the peat and the sweet side, but still exciting and engaging. -
Jose-Massu-Espinel
Reviewed February 24, 2020 (edited October 24, 2020)Its a cask strength Lagavulin, what were you expecting of me? It was obviously going to be an almost perfect score. This 56.5%abv expression is not only full of flavor, but it is also balanced and easy drinkable. White wine color. One of the most clear whiskies i have ever had. Not as peaty as you expect from it, at least not smoky/peaty. Moss, herbal, heather, ashes, caramel, toffee, prunes and seaweed. Its a lagavulin, on steroids. On the palate it is fantastic even if it is a little straightforward. Spent matches, leather and sea water. A long salty finish. Pepper also. Adding a couple of drops of water will turn it into chocolate and butter. Amazing. Overall this dram deserves at least a 96 over 100, truly fantastic. -
wthomps483
Reviewed January 27, 2020It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to do one of these and decided to pick a big bold whisky to get back into the swing. A yearly cask strength offering from the south coast of Islay is what I find in my Glencairn this evening, lets dive in. Nose: At first it’s peat along with a scent that reminds me a bit of a swamp or backwater inlet, we’ll call it brackish funk. Next come softer scents of vanilla and juicy fruits like pineapple. Palate: The palate is the opposite of the nose. First comes the fruit and vanilla. Next a distinct briny flavor. Right before swallowing comes the smoke and peat. The cask strength certainly helps the flavors come across as full but I don’t think I would label them as particularly intense. Finish: The finish starts spicy and peaty before fading into vanilla. The high proof keeps the finish going for quite some time. It’s a well balanced quality dram. It certainly has the peat you would expect but the fullness of the fruity flavors help to keep it balanced. At the time of this review the bottle is almost halfway gone but when I happened upon some notes from the first dram out of the bottle I noticed it was almost exactly the same. This suggests that oxidation doesn’t have much of an affect on the flavor of the whisky. I also added water as I went which made the fruity notes more prominent. It’s plenty balanced without the additional water so I didn’t find it necessary. The quality here is unquestioned and although expensive I’m glad I grabbed it, but I don’t think I loved it enough to try and find another one. Sláinte!125.0 USD per Bottle
Results 31-40 of 78 Reviews