Lagavulin 12
The nose of this whisky comes off exceptionally well for cask-strength and does not give the impression as such with an interplay of softer peat and meyer lemon with a touch of creaminess.
With sipping, an intense salty and oceanic blast hits right away with the peat coming in as a strong second. Candied citrus sweetness comes through after the initial salt and peat blast. In the background, I taste a bright pepperiness accompanying the sweetness along with a walnut tang.
The finish is one of the longest I have ever experienced and dies away slowly to leave only a touch of peat smoke. With the higher proof comes a full-bodied and noticeably more intense flavor profile with an oilier mouth feel than the 16 year offering.
The "regular" Lagavulin 16 year is fantastic and is continually stocked in my bar. However the 12yr cask strength expression has that certain “wow” factor. As a matter of fact, I was shocked at how good it was when I first tasted it.
