Lagavulin


Ken Gargett

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i've always enjoyed the 16 year old but have not spent much time looking at the others. just managed to pick up some of the 12, 16 and 8. bizarrely, the 12 is more expensive (cask strength) but all were terrific prices (the 8, which as far as i can see has only ever been released as a one-off limited edition but i will stand corrected if someone has better info, was just $25 a bottle, amazing for a good spirit in australia, so i got a few).

love to have thoughts on these, especially the 12 and the 8. 

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  • JohnS changed the title to Lagavulin

The 8 was released as a limited edition to mark the 200 yr anniversary of the distillery. It proved to be so successful, that Lagavulin (Diageo) decided to add it to the core range. They are not limited anymore unless you find ones with the 1816-2016 labels.

The 12 is an annual Diageo limited edition release. It is the only "regular" Lagavulin with no colour added and it is Cask strength as you mentioned. It is my favorite of the 4 easily found and affordable Lagavulins. There is also the Distillers Edition that is a 16 year old finished in Sherry casks which is delicious.

$25 for a bottle of 8yr old is an exceptional price.

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The 12 is the star of the lineup for me, especially given the patchy quality of recent batches of the 16.  At cask strength, the tar-brine-citrus backbone is in sharp relief, and I enjoy the linear quality on the palate, compared to the more accessible 16.

The 8 I find quite primary, but good from a quality-price ratio perspective. At $25, it's ridiculous value.

The Distillers Edition is finished in PX - i haven't found a PX cask finish of any malt to suit my palate (a couple of single cask Glendronachs come close).

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ta guys. a friend who is a retailer was shifting stock and just needed to clear some space so gave a few of us a chance for a few bargains. tanquerays for $34. the lagavulin 16 was $85 etc. just as well there was little room on the cards or i might have gone silly. looking forward to trying them when they arrive. 

i'll confess to taking a large % of his 8's. it seemed too good not to. 

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Great prices. I looked at a few sites and the 12yo was going for around 1.5 times the price of the 16, because of limited edition status I suspect. Here's some tasting notes for the 12yo

Tasting note: Matured in refill American oak hogsheads. Pale gold. Stunningly soft and beautifully fresh Laga; a heady mix of seashore, lanolin, pine and forest floor developing with smoked meats, cigar box, vanilla and edging towards mezcal in the later inhalations. Bracing, super-pure yet intense; a profound, spice infused 'cream-of-Islay' ; almost impossibly wound up with tremendous length and power; sea breeze and more coastal notes through the finish which turns salty, peppery, lipsmacking. Perfectly poised. Fisherman’s Friend lozenges late in the aftertaste. Hard to fault. A complete turnaround from last year's release, but equally superb. 56.5% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews… This is the 15th Special Releases bottling of Lagavulin 12 year old. Matured in refill American oak hogsheads. The nose is smoky, with kippers, charcuterie, and bonfire embers, offset by berry fruits. On the unctuous palate, smoke blends with vanilla, green apples, and licorice, plus pepper and sea salt. Peppery, ashy peat in the lengthy finish. 94 points- whiskyadvocate.com, Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

We’re having these every year, and every year that’s a joy. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: Lagavulin’s sweeter peat at first, then the expected sooty smoke, Islay mud, crushed barley, then perhaps a drop of sunflower or sesame oils, whiffs of hand cream, and the usual ocean breeze. Drops of mercurochrome as well, just in case. It’s the purity that’s really perfect here. With water: that wet old tweed jacket, back from Dunivaig’s ruins while it was raining cats and dogs over the bay. Mouth (neat): lemony, peppery, ashy, and smoky perfection. I find it even more precise and concise than earlier batches. Doesn’t do a lot, but does it with utter perfection. With water: gets ashier and sootier. That feeling of having eaten some cigar ash, while the usual orange drops start to appear in the background. Finish: rather long, clean, rather on smoked oranges. We’ll have to try that one day. Comments: perhaps a slightly simpler and sweeter one, but we keep flying very high with these little 12s.
90 points - Serge Valentin, www.whiskyfun.com

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The 12 year is incredible. 30 plus second finish of the Ocean, minerals, brine, pears just keep coming at you. The 2017 is better than the 2016, the 2018 is just coming out now. Refill bourbon casks, no color or chill filtering. It looks so innocent.  but it's 56.5% alcohol that tastes like half that after the first sip. It sells out so if you buy just one bottle, you'll probably be scrambling. 

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On 10/4/2018 at 8:36 PM, Lotusguy said:

The 12 is head and shoulders above the 16 (and also above the 8).

At $25 for the 8, I’d have backed up a truck... ;)

My truck would have already been there LOL. Love the 8, particularly that they put a higher ABV on it. A honest whisky.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Has the 2018 12YO been released yet?  If so, anyone tried it? Would be esp interested if someone can compare it to the 17.

From recent releases of the 12, are there certain ones to avoid or seek out?  I enjoy the 17 but have not tried others. thanks in advance.

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  • 2 months later...
On 10/16/2018 at 12:32 AM, foursite12 said:

Has the 2018 12YO been released yet?  If so, anyone tried it? Would be esp interested if someone can compare it to the 17.

From recent releases of the 12, are there certain ones to avoid or seek out?  I enjoy the 17 but have not tried others. thanks in advance.

Last laga 12 I tried was the 2012 - if you can find it anywhere for a decent price I'd wholeheartedly recommend grabbing it, terrific batch.

Not tried the latest release, but have heard mixed things:

Reining back on the oak (refill American hoggies) to accentuate distillery character has left this a little undercooked for me. The pricing – north of £100 – is getting a little cheeky too. Unusually uninspiring. 77pts. Richard Woodard - Scotchwhisky.com

Still bright and brilliant. Even if some earlier releases in this series have been a tad more profound in my book. 90pts. Angus MacRaild - Whiskyfun

 

2017's release seems to be widely praised and probably still available with a little searching. I'd go for that one!

 

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  • 2 months later...

Interesting thoughts on the 12, always been a fan of the 16 and Distillers edition, did not venture into the the 8 or 12. Need to stay away from this forum, I have a huge list of need to try bourbon and malt bottles 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
1 hour ago, Psiman said:

Distillers Reserve 19 year is the best I have had from Lagavulin

The 2014 Feis Ile bottle is 19 years. That one is rare and easily $500+. Never heard of "Distillers Reserve". Any chance you have a pic?

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