Lagavulin 12 Year Old from Diageo's 2020 Special Releases, themed Rare by Nature. Distilled in 2007 and matured in refill American oak, it is bottled at a cask strength of 56.4% and shows the bright, smoky core of the distillery without heavy wood.
About This Whisky
A cask strength 12 Year Old has featured in the Special Releases in most years since 2002. Using refill casks keeps the oak in the background so the spirit's smoke, citrus and salt carry the flavour. This 2020 edition leans towards ash and soot on the nose, with linseed and harbour air, and tastes sweeter than its strength would suggest.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Wood ash and soot, lime zest, linseed oil and fresh sea breeze.
- Palate: Full and oily, with lemon, sweet peat smoke, tobacco and a pinch of salt.
- Finish: Very long, smoky and lightly drying, with a salty aftertaste.
Serving & Food
Start neat in a Glencairn, then add a little water, which brings the smoke forward. Oysters with lemon, smoked mackerel pâté or grilled lamb with rosemary all sit well beside it.
How to Enjoy
Islay fans who like their peat clean and bright, and anyone following the Special Releases year by year.
Product Details
Distillery: Lagavulin (Diageo)
Series: Diageo Special Releases 2020 (Rare by Nature)
Age: 12 years old
Distilled: 2007
Cask Type: Refill American oak
ABV: 56.4% (cask strength)
Region: Islay, Scotland
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Records suggest there were illicit stills around Lagavulin bay as early as the 1740s, but the distillery's official story begins in 1816, when local farmer John Johnston set up legal production on the site. A second distillery was built beside it soon after, and the two were later combined. Today Lagavulin sits on the south-east coast of Islay between Laphroaig and Ardbeg, and it belongs to Diageo. Water comes down from the Solan lochs in the hills above, running peaty and brown into the stills.