New Release: Lagavulin 12 Year Old Official Limited Edition 2014 Bottling

This one had a slightly smaller scale, but it was still delicious. Lagavulin LAGAVULIN 12yo OB LIMITED EDITION 54.4% bottled in 2014 The aroma features ripe apricot, orange, tree sap, seawind, a youthful sweetness of barley with seafood dashi, strong peat with iodine and smoke, good oak, rich, spicy on the palate with apricot jam's sweet depth, a robust barley character with its savory umami, seafood dashi, tree sap, strong peat with iodine and smoke. The finish is long. [Good/Very Good] The latest official release, Lagavulin 12 Year Old bottled at cask strength in 2014. While the aroma and flavor still carry youthful, rough nuances, it has the characteristic apricot notes and tree sap-like qualities typical of Lagavulin, with savory umami from barley and seafood dashi. Of course, the powerful peat is clearly present. Additionally, the oak notes, which are clean and high-quality in a Diageo style, left a favorable impression. This 12 Year Old release comes out annually, and I often drink the 2011 bottling (three years older) at home, so I inevitably compare them. I think the 2011 bottling has mellowed over time, developing more mature fruit notes. However, even now, the 2011 bottling feels like it has a more substantial body scale. In that sense, I feel this 2014 bottling might not yet match the depth of the 2011 version even after three years. That said, while I had a slightly smaller-scale impression, this 2014 bottling still has body and fully embodies the Lagavulin character and the robustness of an Islay cask strength release. I consider it a high-quality release.