Lagavulin 16 Year Old is truly a benchmark Islay whisky. It’s loved for its deep, earthy, and maritime character with rich notes of dried fruit, vanilla, and smokiness that comes from Islay peat but is more akin to Lapsang Souchong tea in profile.
Before Lagavulin 16, the distillery did have a 12-year-old single malt. But when Diageo launched the Classic Malt series in the 1980s, Lagavulin 16 Year Old was introduced and became the distillery's flagship bottling. It received a boost in popularity after featuring in Parks and Recreation as a favourite drink of Nick Offerman’s character Ron Swanson. Offerman has since collaborated with the distillery on several occasions.
If you're looking for a food pairing for this beauty, try intensely flavoured salty blue cheeses, which complement the intense, peat-rich, sweet and salty character of this Lagavulin wonderfully.
More like Lapsang Souchong tea than Lapsang Souchong! One of the smokiest noses from Islay. It's big, very, very concentrated, and redolent of iodine, sweet spices, good, mature Sherry and creamy vanilla. Stunning.
Very thick and rich. A massive mouthful of malt and Sherry with good fruity sweetness, but also a wonderful sweetness. Big, powerful peat and oak.
Long, spicy finish, figs, dates, peat smoke, vanilla.
Straight out the dram bottle, I really appreciate the darker gold hue - it doesn't affect flavour for me, but a nice touch. On the nose, I got hints of peat and orange zest. In the initial tasting, I could tell this is a complex one, arguably the most complex out of the drams or Tamadhu, Glenkinchie, Glen Scotia, Ledaig and the Dalmore I'd tasted. A fruity lemony sourness, but not as sharp/refreshing as the Ledaig 10 which I felt was a bit frustrating as I wanted that hit, but it rounded off into the "sourness" you get from honey, of which, the sweetness transpired as it sat on my tongue a bit longer, which was soon greeted by a smokey body and savoury finish. Notes of aged varnished wood that my grandpa used to have in his living room. In exploring the aftertaste, I could feel the creaminess of coconut coming through and a whisper of aniseed, enveloped by a pipe tobacco cloud.. which I loved. After watering down, I took a whiff, and it transported me to memories of when I'd stayed in a Yorkshire Inn, in Buckden, awaking at 4 in the morning to bright sunshine, and that formidable countryside smell filled with grass, earth, fresh air and a distant steam train/smoking chimney/remnants of last night's bonfire. In the tasting, the peat and earth notes really came through, and the sweet unburned tobacco remained. A serious drink, with the following summary to wrap up my thoughts; This Lagavulin 16 year old took me on a steam train journey to the dram of Ledaig I'd tasted. Or in prosaic form; Ledaig with smoke 8.5/10 or closest here would be 4.5/5. A 4/5 would mean an 8/10 which it just isn't. It's marginally better, and my favourite one so far.
First taste in early 1980's and was very impressed. unfortunately, this one was very disappointing. Expected much more, I suppose
I agree with the others about the smoky bs peaty. My only addition to the discussion is that what you have called spicy, I think the spice is pepper. That’s what lingers on my tongue. This is my favorite treat before and after anything
Wonderful. I’m not even a fan of peat in general, but as the expert reviewers mention, it’s more smoky than peaty and it’s so rich, dark, and sweet from the oak and sherry that the smoky flavor isn’t overwhelming at all. This is the best scotch I’ve tried to date. In fact maybe the best whiskey I’ve had.
Prices have increased and quality has dropped off, this is a pale imitation even compared to just a few years ago. There’s plenty of better peated whiskies and a whole world of better value, don’t be fooled by the name and brand; the King of Islay is no more.
