The king of Islay. Lagavulin. I believe that it doesn't matter if you like Ardbeg more, or you feel that Bowmore can be fancier, Lagavulin is the King of Islay. And it is the king, because of its quality. It is by far the most balanced peaty, Islay single malt, with bold but "bearable" flavors and aromas. Their 16yo is a classic that cannot be defeated. Having said all that, this 2019 special release by Diageo, is a 12yo cask strength one, which sometimes can be an uncertain bet, since higher abv on peaty islay whiskies can become quite harsh. This is not the case, "au contraire" this expression is super balanced and very enjoyable. Bottled at 56.5%abv, pale straw color. On the nose, incredible smokiness. Citric. A peatyVanilla cake, beautiful aroma. Ashtray, cheap taxi air freshener. Fresh lemonade. After a first sip, i got sand, cloth detergent, sider or green apple liquor. Meringue. After a third sip, it released fishy, pond aromas, a little stinky but still super interesting. On the palate, it got near to perfection. Vanilla, super easy to drink for a peaty 56.5%abv whisky.  Meringue, lemon, pepper, everything enjoyable and you can hold it for a long time which was surprising. A second sip gave me vanilla, toffee, mossy peat. Aftertaste was absolutely amazing. Wood smoke, dry burnt hay, very balanced;  smokey and spicy but in a very enjoyable way, not harsh at all. Cigarrettes. Overall, it is amazing how Lagavulin is able to conquer your palate, your nose and your heart. Every note here screams "i am going to be super harsh", but in reality everything is super balanced and enjoyable. I loved this whisky, a noble peaty spirit. My score is 95 over 100 and should be higher. Update: the 56.5%abv just kicked in, i am going to sleep like a baby. +1 point for enhanced experience.