There are whiskies that play it safe, and then there are whiskies that book a one-way ticket to somewhere they've never been. Lagavulin's 12 Year Old from the 2023 Special Releases is firmly in the latter camp — a cask-strength Islay single malt finished in tequila casks, which sounds like a dare until you actually taste it.
I'll admit I raised an eyebrow when I first heard about this one. Lagavulin is sacred ground for peat lovers, and the annual 12 Year Old cask-strength release is something of a ritual — the one bottle from the Diageo Special Releases that the Islay faithful circle on their calendars every autumn. To take that and run it through tequila casks feels like writing a love letter in someone else's handwriting. But Lagavulin has earned the right to take risks, and at 56.4% ABV, this arrives with enough muscle to make its case loudly.
What makes this bottling genuinely interesting is the collision of two very different worlds. Islay peat smoke — that medicinal, coastal, bonfire-on-a-wet-beach character that Lagavulin does better than almost anyone — meeting the vegetal, slightly sweet, agave-influenced notes that tequila wood brings to the party. It's a combination that shouldn't work on paper, but the 12 years of maturation give the spirit enough backbone to absorb the finishing without losing its identity. This is still unmistakably Lagavulin. The tequila casks add a layer of intrigue rather than a disguise.
Tasting Notes
I won't pretend to break this down into a neat nose-palate-finish checklist — this is a whisky that rewards sitting with it over an evening rather than scribbling clinical notes. What I will say is that at cask strength, it evolves dramatically in the glass. Give it time. Give it a drop or two of water. Let it unfold at its own pace. The interplay between smoke and that subtle, almost earthy sweetness from the tequila wood is the kind of thing you want to pay attention to.
The Verdict
At £146, this sits in that awkward middle ground — expensive enough that you'll think twice, reasonable enough for a Special Release that you won't think three times. For context, standard Lagavulin 16 runs about £65-£75 these days, so you're paying a premium for cask strength, limited availability, and the tequila finish experiment. Is it worth it? I think so. This is a whisky with genuine personality, the kind of bottle that sparks conversation and divides opinion at the table — which is exactly what a Special Release should do. It's bold without being gimmicky, experimental without abandoning what makes Lagavulin compelling in the first place. An 8.4 out of 10 feels right. It's not the greatest Lagavulin 12 ever released, but it might be the most memorable.
Best Served
Pour it neat in a Glencairn, add five or six drops of cool water, and let it sit for a good ten minutes before your first sip. The reduction opens this up considerably. If you're feeling adventurous, try it alongside a slice of grilled lime and a pinch of sea salt on the side — a nod to the tequila heritage that actually works remarkably well as a palate reset between sips. This is a fireside dram for a night when you want to argue about whisky with someone whose opinion you respect.
