A traditional part of Diageo’s yearly Special Release series, the 12 year old, cask strength release of Lagavulin is one of the most eagerly awaited bottlings of the whisky calendar.
The 2019 bottling lives up to the hype – rich in lipsmacking peat smoke, the whisky delivers notes of tangy citrus peel, peppery, green chilli, baked apples, slight iodine, kelp, lemon juice, tobacco smoke, wood ash, grassy malt, sea salt and cinnamon dusted pastry.
Bottled at 56.5% ABV, and without chill filtration or colouration, the bottling offers a thick mouthfeel and intense flavour profile. The spirit has been aged in American oak Hogsheads.
The label and bottle tube features a lovely depiction of a Golden Eagle, in keeping with the general theme of the 2019 Special Releases: “Rare by Nature”. The Golden Eagle is, of course, one of Scotland’s most cherished birds of prey.
Close to the perfect Lagavulin bottling, and an excellent illustration of why this distillery doesn’t need sherry casks to shine.
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