Review #201: Lagavulin 12 year 2017 edition

Islay - 12 - NCF - NCA - $130 - 56.6%

Lagavulin 12 is an annual release which comes in NCF, NCA and Cask strength.  I have had their 16 and their 8.  The 16 just comes off as thin for me.  I enjoy the 8 over the 16 regardless of price.  

Color - Pale Gold

Nose - Peat and brine - sea shells, bacon, wet rope, lemon, honey, rubber, diesel oil 

Palate - Lots of sweetness, lemon drops, cigar ash, sea water

Finish - Medium - Bonfire ashes, tidal pools,diesel, sugar coated lime

Overall - 5.5 -  This was very good, it was just loaded with peaty, oily, and coastal peat.  There was enough sweetness throughout to balance out the peat.  It drank well below its weight, maybe why 16 is so thin to me. The cask strength & NCF cures a lot of issues from the 16 and there is no thinness.  It is a study in peat and does that well.  

Ulitmately, its rating suffers due to it's price.  I can get 2x bottles of Frog CS or Ugi for the price of one bottle of Laga. I would compound that with I prefer Frog and Ardbeg peat to Laga's.  Will I ever buy a bottle?  Probably not.  

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Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying a bottle.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale
5.5 I really enjoyed but it will never be priced at where I would buy a bottle

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner

Inclusive Ratings

Overall 6.1

Standard Deviation 0.91

Skew 0.66

Kurtosis -0.16