Lagavulin 12 yo Special Release 2025 Grain & Embers

 

 

 

56,5°

Distillery : Lagavulin - Islay

Refill Casks, Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Seasoned Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 38 ppm

 

 

 

It is always a pleasure to see the return of the Diageo Special Release range, which comes out every year around September, particularly Lagavulin, since it is the most famous bottling and the only one that is released every year. Here, the maturation process is somewhat unusual, as Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Seasoned Casks have been added to the more traditional Refill Casks. Let's hope it's more successful than the 2022 and 2023 experiments, which I didn't particularly like.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

At first, it's iodine and the tide, sea spray, and strong mineral notes, gypsum cliffs, limestone, quartz, slate. Rocky peat, with a hint of caramel and vanilla, seductive smoke full of soot, then there are ripe plums, crushed bananas, pastry cream, brown sugar, old wood, lemon and a zest of pineapple, papaya, prickly pear. On the palate, it is very mellow, white grapes and lychee, dragon fruit, then very powerful spices, cloves, cumin and chilli. Rose water. Long and delicately intense finish, white chocolate, dry earth, blond tobacco, lime, a slight woody and bitter note at the end.

 

In Short, 

There has been a lot of criticism of this one, both from those who demand the same Bourbon Cask maturation every year, and from those who were hoping for a genuine Cask Strength Sherry bottling. Personally, I liked it. I see no reason to be disappointed, as it retains the typical characteristics of Lagavulin 12 Year Old, with its mineral and iodine notes, heady peat and tobacco. The additional casks just add a little more fruitiness and sweetness, which is a plus. Indeed, a totally sherry cask strength bottling would be a good idea, perhaps another time, but in the meantime, this one is not bad at all. It's only the price, which is too high, that prevents me from buying it. 

Score : 89 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Kirlian Camera - K-Pax