Single Malt Diageo Special Release 21YO (((Bottled 2012)))
⏳ Drinking Window
As a mature, high-strength single malt Scotch whisky, this bottling is fully matured and ready to be enjoyed immediately. It will remain in pristine condition indefinitely when stored upright in a cool, dark place.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, dark chocolate, smoked venison
✨ Technical Specifications
The Lagavulin 21 Year Old, released as part of Diageo's prestigious 2012 Special Releases, is widely considered one of the most legendary bottlings in the distillery's history. Distilled in 1991 and matured exclusively in first-fill Spanish oak sherry casks, this expression represents a sublime marriage of Islay's intense, maritime peat smoke with the deep, resinous sweetness of European oak. The slow, deliberate distillation in Lagavulin's signature pear-shaped stills coaxes out a heavy, oily spirit that spent over two decades resting in warehouses hugging the rugged, wind-swept shores of Lagavulin Bay. The resulting malt is a masterclass in complexity, weaving together notes of dark chocolate, molasses, dates, and thick peat smoke, underpinned by a distinct coastal salinity born of its maturation environment.
🍾 About the Producer
Perched on the rugged southern coastline of Islay, Lagavulin was officially established in 1816 by John Johnston, formalising centuries of illicit distilling along the sheltered cove beneath Dunyvaig Castle. Operating within an unforgiving maritime microclimate, the distillery draws peaty, mineral-rich process water from the upland Solum Lochs. Production relies on heavily peated barley and exceptionally deliberate methods: lengthy fermentations in larch washbacks precede distillation across four distinctive pear-shaped pot stills. Lagavulin famously executes one of the slowest double distillations in Scotland with wide middle cuts and high fill levels, maximizing copper interaction to sculpt a rich, oily spirit imbued with phenolic depth, smoked lapsang souchong, and iodine. Matured extensively in dunnage warehouses washed by sea spray, the resulting single malt balances pungent maritime brine and sweet oak tannins. Benchmark expressions include the iconic 16 Year Old, the cask-strength 12 Year Old annual releases, and sought-after mature parcels within Diageo's Prima & Ultima collection.