Lagavulin 12 Year Old - The Ink of Legends - is part of the Special Releases Spirited Xchange 2023 Collection.
Inspired by the spirit of intensity and pride that shines through a Lagavulin history more than 200 years long, our Malt Master explores the famed symbols of the ancient Mesoamerican art of tattoo, rich in story and significance. The whisky, finished in Don Julio Añejo tequila casks, pulses with herbal flavours ancient and modern, engraving an indelible story.
Amid fierce glints of gold, fresh notes of sea air, citrus and ripened berries mingle with intense herbal smoke in an enchanted swirl of heady aromas, while the creamy-smooth and robust texture plays perfect canvas to a rich palette of swirling flavours. Sweet with juicy plums and a hint of saltiness, then ever more herbal and smokier, the flavours deep-etch their impression for a lip-tingling whisky of legends.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Bright pale sunlight. Good beading and legs.
Nose: The immediate aromas are slightly more medicinal than smoky, showing hints of carbolic soap and soothing rub that soon mingle with aromatic wood smoke from a driftwood bonfire on the beach. As the intense, herbal smoke takes over, a savoury note drifts through it, suggesting barbecued pork. A drop of water reduces the intensity yet adds more maritime and darkly fruity notes, making the smokiness yet more aromatic.
Body: Medium.
Palate: At natural strength, the robust texture is creamy-smooth and mouth-filling, while with its ever-richer swirling flavours the taste is sweet at first and citrus-like, adds a good sprinkling of salt, then reveals notes of juicy plum in an increasingly smoky and lip-tingling finale. With a dash of water, it’s a little sweeter and smokier still.
Finish: Long, with a salty tang and finishing very smoky, with just a hint of that light meatiness in a smoky aftertaste that is both lingering and mouth-cooling. It is drying, with a lovely warm-heartedness.