Lagavulin 12 Year Old Islay single malt Scotch whisky "The Flames of the Phoenix". Matured in Virgin Oak casks bottled for the Diageo Special Releases 2022 series entitled "Legends Untold Chapter 2".
Lagavulin is famous for producing some of the most intense, rich, and smoky single malt whiskies — the peated barley used to create Lagavulin Single Malt has up to twenty times as much exposure to peat smoke as compared to typical Scotches. The distillery is known for having the slowest distillation process of any Islay distillery, giving Lagavulin its characteristic round flavors and mellow edges.
Naturally, the distillery is included in Diageo's 2022 Special Edition lineup that focuses on exploring the boundaries of aromas and flavor in whisky. Lagavulin 2022 Special Release is a 12-year-old Islay single malt Scotch that was matured in American oak refill and virgin oak casks, then bottled at 114.6 proof. It features a balance of sweetness and spice with plenty of those desirable and intense peat smoke notes.
NOSE: Dry, with an immediate powerful smokiness; much more so than is usual with Lagavulin, with charcoal and fragrant peat massively to the fore, backed by a clean fresh base-note that suggests sea air and mineral scents. Much reduced, aromatically, with even a little water, it remains essentially unaltered.
PALATE: The smooth lightly oily texture shines with sweet richness; the taste is sweet to start, then takes off with a soaring lemony acidity and a sprinkling of sea salt to add freshness. Mid-palate the fire dries the taste, which flies still higher now in its salty-smoky intensity. A dash of water rounds and sweetens but it’s the smoke that dominates.
FINISH: Long, with great waves of peat-smoke, and new-fired heights of spiced and smoky intensity that last wonderfully in the aftertaste
