Lagavulin 12-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky (2016) Review

Ah, Lagavulin 12-year-old.  One of my favorite Islay distilleries.  This 2016 edition marks its 14th appearance in Diageo’s Special Releases series.  It bottling has matured in refill American oak hogsheads for at least 12 years, and has been bottled at 57.7% abv.  Lagavulin 12 year retails for about $135.  The 2015 release of Lagavulin 12 year was big and powerful, and this one continues the trend.

This particular release finds lemon custard, freshly baked bread, and seaweed on the nose. Oh yeah, did I mention the signature Lagavulin campfire smoke? It’s here in spades. The palate closely follows the nose for the most part. The smoke builds as waves of toffee, vanilla pudding and lemon rind add a nice counterbalance. Hints of fresh basil and seaweed appear mid-palate. The finish is long and warming, with sweet smoke and oak spice. 

 A mighty Lagavulin! 8/10

Thanks to Diageo for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mannochmore 25-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky Review

Kicking off my series dedicated to Diageo’s 2016 Special Releases is Mannochmore 25-year-old.  It’s pretty rare to see a Mannochmore single malt bottling, as most of the whisky produced at the Speyside distillery goes to blends.  This release is a blend of whiskies distilled in 1990 and matured in first fill ex-bourbon casks, new American oak barrels, and new and ex-bodega European oak butts.  Mannochmore 25 is bottled at a cask strength of 53.4% abv and retails for $400.

This quarter century old whisky is quite lovely. Sherry oak and orange zest parade on the aromatic nose, as hints of toasted malt and ripe apricots appear in the background. The palate is rich and dense with dried fruit, orange marmalade, toffee and spice at first. A touch of airtime reveals some wood sap and licorice. The finish is a touch dry, with some sweet oak tannins and concentrated fruit juice. A slightly offputting bitter note appears soon after. 

 Overall, Mannochmore 25 is a rich, decadent malt worth exploring. Quite lovely. 8.5/10

Thanks to Diageo for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Blood Oath Pact No. 3 Announced

Luxco’s third release of their limited edition Blood Oath is set to be released in April.  Each year features a different blend.  Pact No. 3 is a blend of two 7-year bourbons and a 12-year bourbon.  One of the 7-year bourbons was finished in cabernet sauvignon casks from Swanson Vineyards in Napa Valley.  

“These carefully selected bourbons come together for a spicy, yet incredibly smooth flavor profile. By finishing some of the bourbon in cabernet sauvignon barrels, I was able to drive more character and depth into the bourbon,” says John Rempe, creator of Blood Oath and Director of Corporate Research and Development at Luxco. “Not only will you taste the spiciness of the rye along with the sweet notes from the wine barrels, but you’ll also taste strong caramel and chocolate overtones, giving it a velvety, well-balanced finish.”

Like previous versions, Blood Oath Pact No. 3 is bottled at 98.6 proof and retails for $99.99.  It is a one-time release of 10,000 bottles.  I enjoyed the first two release.  Read my notes for Pact No. 1and Pact No. 2.

Luxco is currently building a distillery in Bardstown. In fact, their still was installed just last week (as of the writing of this post). In the meantime, they continue to source their whiskies and are doing a fine job at picking barrels and blending whiskies.