Return to form with Lagavulin Special Releases 2024?

Lagavulin is probably the best single malt whisky in the world, but a nightmare to put some marketing on. The reason for that is that Lagavulin works best if you do not tinker with it too much. Just fill a decent refill cask of this or that, leave it well alone for 16 years, and ta-dah! You have arguable one of the best standard offerings in Scotch. Since the distillery’s location does not really allow for expansion, Lagavulin is squeezing out every drop they can get out of those beautiful onion shaped stills, and sell it without too much fuzz. And even though we have seen Lagavulin more prolific in recent years, especially with actor Nick Offerman having his own expression, the standard offerings are still rather modest. A 16 year old flagship, a more accessible 8 year old, a Distillers Edition and a yearly release in the Diageo Special Releases.

Today we taste the 2024 edition of the Lagavulin 12 years old. This used to be a very dependable and consistent offering in the Special Releases, with all expressions between 2002 and 2018 looking exactly the same. The brooding, mysterious, very dark blueish box, and the regular labelled familiar bottle inside it. This was a whisky that demanded respect, a little fear even, being so fierce and forceful, it could well be named the King of Islay. And that is the name they started putting on the tube in the following two years. Yes, a tube. Blasphemous, I know, but times change even for a 200 year old distillery. In the end it was about the whisky, not about having your collection of 12 years old interrupted by an eagle (cool!), a lion (of course) and a phoenix (whut?). The whisky stayed good. Maybe a bit fruitier, lighter, but with a signature peat smoke that kept Lagavulin firmly Lagavulin.

The Phoenix I could live with, even though we noticed Virgin Casks being slipped into the mix. Surely this must have been a one-time mistake. But in 2023, unsuspecting Lagavulin fans were treated with a Don Julio Añejo Tequila Finish. This caused quite an uproar. Lagavulin squandering their trustworthy heritage with these exotic casks? We can swallow this from Glenfiddich perhaps, but surely the King of Islay is not dressing up like a court jester? The last two years, appreciation for the 12 years old dropped with two whole points on Whiskybase. The release was consistently scoring 87/88 points on average, now went down to 85 points. It is a sign not to misread. Hundreds of people put in their score, so these are reliable numbers. Did Diageo listen to the critique? This year’s release seems to be an indication that they did. Check it out.

Lagavulin 12 years old, bottled at 57,4 % abv

Makeup: Named “Fireside Tales”, the 12 year old Lagavulin matured in first fill and refill bourbon casks. There you go.

General impressions: Light in colour like white wine, not unlike the two “eagle” expressions from 2019 and 2020. Those were truly fantastic. This one opens on dark, smouldering peat fire and smoke. Very clean with lots of lemons and a slight hint of grapefruit. Some ashes, like you will find in that fireside the morning after telling all those tales. The attack on the palate is quite rough, not the usual milky feel I get from Lagavulin. Much dryer than I remember the 12 year old to be. The strong lemon undercurrent is only interrupted by hints of smoked vanilla. This edition has lost some elegance. 

You know it is there, but this is a strong, muscled figure coming in from the rain in the forest after a good twenty minutes of splitting logs. Some sawdust lingers, the cigar he or she smoked is still noticeable. Now, how about starting that fire.

Before I get any more lyrical, let’s put in some water. The smells turn more medicinal, but on the tongue this Lagavulin is more maritime. All very high on Islay character, but we are missing some integration of all these elements. It is layered, but no melting pot. The finish turns a tad bitterish.

Conclusion: Recognisable Lagavulin, but not a return to top form just yet. For years and years, buying this expression of Lagavulin was a no-brainer. Last year with Tequila-gate, I skipped a beat. If the price was more friendly, I would have purchased this 2024 edition. But at this price point, for a 12 year old, cask strength – granted, I will skip another year and hope for better times. My advice: try before you buy, you might find the price acceptable. Good Islay whisky is always a treat.

Score: 88 points

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