Review: Lagavulin 12 Years Old Limited Edition 2012
Review: Lagavulin 12 Years Old Limited Edition 2012
Diageo’s Classic Malts Selection is an annual line of very rare and exotic single malt whiskys, all bottled at cask strength, and the 2013 releases are just now starting to arrive.
Today we start our look at these releases — eight total, seven available in the U.S. — with one reviewed each day.
First out of the gate is a perennial part of the Classic Malts Selection, a 12 year old from Lagavulin on Islay. This is the eleventh Lagavulin 12 Year Old in this series (now called Limited Edition instead of Distillers Edition), and fans of the island distillery will find ample familiarity here. Ultra-pale sunlight color, plenty of smoky peat burning on the nose. It’s a very hot whisky, all fire and ashes at bottle strength. Water helps tame the beast, turning up lots of sweetness. There’s burnt marshmallow, iodine, some lemon (lemonade), and black tea notes, too. It’s all filtered through peat, of course, but in a complex, exciting, and engaging way. Worthwhile.
112.2 proof.
A- / $111 / malts.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Lagavulin 12 Years Old Limited Edition 2012
$111
Thanks for this review. I’ve seen listings elsewhere for a Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition for 2012 (not this Limited Edition). Is that a different animal, or is the one you’ve reviewed here from 2013? Sorry if I’m being thick, and thanks for your help.
Adam – Distillers Edition is a different whisky. While Distillers Edition is vintage-dated on the bottle, it is a regular, annual release that is more widely available than the limited edition whiskys we’re reviewing this week. The LE reviewed here is from (late) 2012 and is clearly marked Limited Edition on the bottle, so don’t get tripped up if you see them both. Distillers Edition has a black label, which also helps distinguish them.