Lagavulin 12 Year (2012 Special Release)

I enjoy cask strength bourbons (like Stagg, Craig, Booker's) and cask strength scotch (like Uigeadail, A'bunadh)... but this doesn't quite hit the mark for me. Some of the smokiness and smoothness I appreciate in the 16 year old is diminished in this bottling. (My opinion has improved after tasting more from this bottle, but I won't repurchase it.)

I always go for Lagavulin, and their yearly limited editions are no different. This cask strength offering is four years younger than the standard 16 year bottling. I question if the mashbill is identical, or if the difference is simply due to its youth. It's remarkably smooth for being barrel proof. Not at all overpowering. I'll happily drink Lagavulin, regardless of the expression or occasion.

Anticipate a powerful peat aroma, with hints of sea salt, iodine, and deep, scorched earth. A subtle trace of toasted nuts and cocoa is also present. The taste is dominated by intense peat, featuring earth and ash. A faint sweetness emerges at the conclusion.

[Whiskey Live New York 2016] - Surpasses the 16 year and the Double Barrel. Tastes like pure grass, but in a heavenly, incredibly fruity, tingly way. I would absolutely love to have a bottle of this on my shelf!

My new go-to! It hits you right away with a strong, sweet smoky aroma. This soon mellows into a smooth pipe tobacco flavor complemented by hints of butterscotch. The finish is subtly sweet, with a touch of leather smoke and a mild, salty quality that lingers naturally.

Pure Black Cavendish and Latakia. If you smoke a pipe, you'll understand... wonderfully rich smoker flavor. Reserved for special moments, to be savored slowly by a fireplace. Truly a dream.