Lagavulin 12 Year Old ‘The Ink of Legends’ Review (Diageo Special Releases 2023)

In the 2023 Special Releases, the theme is Spirited Xchange, eight drams crafted to bridge cultures. As ever, Lagavulin plays a starring role. What happens when you layer Lagavulin’s smoky, peaty profile with notes from tequila casks? You’ll find out in this Lagavulin 12 Years Old The Ink of Legends Review.

The Lagavulin distillery is one of Islay’s oldest. The distillery’s whiskies are renowned for their peaty character, where smoke, alongside a robust maritime edge, takes center stage. Lagavulin has appeared no fewer than 28 times in the Special Releases, with a 12-year-old expression showing up every year since at least 2002. In other words, a fixture for over 20 years.

Dr. Stuart Morrison, master blender at Diageo, wanted to do something special this year: bring cultures together in Diageo’s Special Releases. He chose to pair classic Islay spirit with casks from the other side of the world. This Lagavulin was finished in Don Julio Añejo Tequila casks. It’s still a 12-year-old Lagavulin, but with a cultural twist. As always with Diageo’s Special Releases, it’s bottled at cask strength, 56.4 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) in this case.

Lagavulin 12 Years Old The Ink of Legends is available at better-stocked liquor stores.

Every time you look at this Lagavulin’s label, you spot something new. Designed this year by Mexican illustrator Raul Urias, it blends styles, bold colors, and patterns into the artwork that adorns the bottle (and tube). At first glance you’ll see a tattooed woman. Her hairstyle and clothing hint at her Mexican heritage, while the smoke swirling around her nods to Islay’s signature smokiness.

You could keep gazing at this illustration and uncover fresh details each time. It feels as though this mysterious woman is guiding you toward the multitude of flavors this dram has in store.

Before we dive into flavor, it’s time to nose this golden liquid. On the nose, Lagavulin 12 Years Old The Ink of Legends comes on almost like a nasal spray, salty in the best possible way. That briny note is joined by smoke, citrus, woody elements, and a hint of fruit. A second and third nosing don’t reveal entirely new aromas, but they do let the fruit step forward a little more. Even on the nose it’s clear the tequila casks haven’t dominated; the Islay character still leads the way.

On the palate, The Ink of Legends behaves like a true Lagavulin. At full strength, it lands on the tongue with a spark. A creamy layer follows, rolling out a red carpet for peat, salt, and orange peel to enter first. That spark fans out into a tingle across the palate, and then sweetness joins in think ripe red fruits, citrus, and something reminiscent of salted popcorn, though not quite the same.

The finish on this Lagavulin is delightfully long. The whisky takes its time saying goodbye, with both salty and sweet notes carried on a plume of smoke. The peppery quality from the tequila casks lingers to the end. With a drop of water, this Lagavulin doesn’t change dramatically compared to neat. It becomes a touch more polite on the palate, but in every respect it still reads as the quintessential Islay whisky through and through.

It’s great to see Lagavulin still a dependable staple in the Diageo Special Releases with a 12-year-old expression. For fans of smoke and peat, this is the one to pick if you’re only putting a single bottle under the tree this Christmas or gifting just one to someone special. It has all the hallmarks you expect from Lagavulin and deviates very little. That’s a good thing, though perhaps a touch of a pity. Still, The Ink of Legends is a must-have. Partly to complete the 2023 Special Releases set, and partly because it’s simply a stunning take on a great whisky.

+ A label you can get lost in

+ A fantastic gift for lovers of peat and smoke

+ Faithful to Lagavulin’s character...

- ... perhaps a bit too faithful to feel truly distinctive