Lagavulin 2024 12 Year Old Fireside Tales - Diageo Special Releases 2024
2025-03-20
Smell
Nose in and... Boom! A cloud of oil with a vanilla explosion meets cold smoke. Not that aggressive, medicinal Ardbeg smoke, but rather the subtle campfire flavour with a warming undertone. There is also a mineral flavour - almost as if someone had walked through a pine forest with a tropical fruit salad. Pineapple? Check. Peach? Check. A hint of banana? That's right. And somewhere in the background, a sea breeze blows past, reminiscent of salty spray. Sounds exciting? Yes! Are expectations rising? Oh yes!
Taste
Then the first sip - and oops, the fairy tale takes a sudden turn. Instead of sweet fruit, there is a good dose of ginger and bitter spiciness. This is joined by white pepper and, of course, the typical Lagavulin smoke - but this time cooler than usual. Fruit? Hardly at all. Instead, a curious mix of grilled vegetables, especially peppers, with a pinch of seaweed.
Finish
This is where the whisky comes into its own. Suddenly the pineapple reappears, as if it had got lost for a moment. Fruity, long-lasting and warming. There is also a light tar note and a hint of black pepper. Voluminous, intense - exactly what you want from a good Islay whisky.
Thoughts
The ‘Fireside Tales’ from Lagavulin tells an interesting story, but does not have the class of a true masterpiece. If you put it on your shelf, you'll get a whisky with rough edges - but also with a few narrative hiccups.
So what remains? Mixed feelings. The nose raises great expectations, but the flavour lags behind. It is nowhere near the Lagavulin 16. But if you fancy a smoky, vegetable-accentuated taste excursion and are not put off by unfamiliar flavours, you can have fun here.
Rating: 82/100 - Excellent (Marcel: 81 | Sascha: 83)
Value for Money: 2/5 - Expensive
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