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.
I think it is attrocious. Tastes like I'm drinking a burned out forest fire. Awful. Threw it out.
A work of art. Yeah there's smoke throughout, but it's not overwhelming and its beautifully balanced by a malty sweetness and sherry undertones. I love spending time alone with this bottle, and get a feeling of melancholy when I see the end is near. Like saying goodbye to a dear friend.
I really prefer this compared to Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10. Very smooth, earthy, smoky and rich flavour. It costs around 85€ where I live but for me it's the best isla whisky for under 100€ :)
Quite simply a stunning malt. It takes a special whisky to call my favourite but Lagavulin 16yo is that whisky. Nicer than Lagavulin Distillers Edition (just). Enjoy with a little drop of water to bring out the flavours. Do not buy or give poor reviews if peaty malts are not for you.
I recently had the chance to try 16 and 18 year old within 24 hours of each other so I had a bit of a think about the two. This is no small wonder for me as I am a cheap fan of great scotch(not easy!). I realize there are far more expensive bottles out there, but $50+ a bottle for me is above my price range at the moment. It won’t be for very much longer. I do not have a refined palette or nose, I do not know all of the technical terminology, but I know what I like and I loved the 16 and the 18 absolutely through and through. It is uncompromisingly bold and the most delicious whisky I’ve ever had my gums ‘round. The best way I can describe it to those on the fence about trying it is that it is absolutely like drinking the outdoors, if that were possible. Earthy, smoky and sweet, it reminded me of all my boyhood camping trips replete with nights around the bonfire and roasted marshmallows. I’m not sure what being a newcomer to drinking scotch has to do with anything, but if any of that appeals to you, do not hesitate to purchase this.
