Lagavulin 12 Year Old - The Flames of the Phoenix - is part of the Special Releases Elusive Expressions 2022 Collection.
As our legend goes, one extraordinary day the King of Islay was reborn. A spark of sunlight fell from the sky, and set the land ablaze. When the flames subsided, the scorched earth was veiled in thick smoke. Suddenly, new life rose from the ashes in shimmering feathers of honeyed gold and rich crimson. A regal Phoenix soared above its wings of fire powering the stills of Lagavulin, amplifying its spiced intensity.
In this deep expression from virgin oak and our smokiest reserves, peaty casks lead spice and smoke on their eternal dance with deep sweetness.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Gleaming, iridescent gold.
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.
Body: Medium.
Palate: The texture is smooth and attractively oily; the taste sweet to start then soon growling with an intense lemon acidity, with a sprinkling of sea-salt and persistent char talking each sip. The overall salty-sweet taste is rounded, softened and sweetened by a drop of water.
Finish: Long, with great waves of peat-smoke, and new- fired heights of spiced and smoky intensity that last wonderfully in the aftertaste.