Lagavulin The Ink of Legends (2023 Special Release)

I was stoked to have found this because I'm a big fan of Lag 16 and tequila in general. Upon first sniff, the smoke factor reminded me of Lag 16. But after letting it sit there were additional characters of oak and agave I get usually from tequila. This intrigued me for what to expect for the sipping experience. At first the peat hit home solidly with a nice warming effect that gave it that fireplace feel. The finish was enjoyable and enduring with a hint of said agave a la the the unique don julio barreling. Definitely an impressive offering from Lagavulin. Looking forward to revisiting the bottle.

2023 WhiskyFest

Really, no 12 year? Anyway...another 20 cl review. Nose - classic lag 12...and then the finish is...kinda vegetal. I feel there's little need to dive into what a lag 12 smells like here. But that vegetal note is weird. There might also be a bit more sweetness here. It's oddly familiar and not messed up with the tequila finish and yet...lag 12 has proven even the slightest variation can turn it from a master piece to a disaster. Taste - yeah it's "smooth" and in that I mean unlike the 2019 where the astringency went WILD, this is very much like Lion's Fire in that it's creamy and easy to drink. It's sweeter than expected as well. The vanillas and the "lagavaulin" version of iodine is held back. The smoke is also less. That said the peat and the SMOKE might be higher here. The finish is way longer than the 2017 which I've got poured as a control. There's a bit of bitterness that's unwanted here. And I think despite a great viscous mouth feel, better than the 2017. And despite the longer and fuller finish. That note is just off putting. Every time I go back to the 2017, it's like a breath of fresh air. It's so much just...better. Forget flavors it's about the way the whisky comes together. There's this level of balance and structure and the quality of maturation of the distillate that sometimes gets lost in our never ending tasting notes. That's not what lag 12 is about. It not about tasting notes. I think I underrated the lag 12 when I scored the 2017 and 2018. So I think I'll give this a 2.75, but I think it's a step behind both by a bit. I gave the 2020 a 3.75 which I think is maybe a bit high but very fair because it was so good. Any conclusion here as this one deserves it! This is a very nice version of lag 12 that isn't at ALL nearly as off profile and weird as I expected. It's got some off notes and it's different, but the 2019 was more off and weird than this is. If prices weren't getting out of control, this would honestly be one I'd get to remember down the road. But they have...so pass.