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.
The Emperors new clothes. Taste like a smokey bandage. Nasty after taste will not die. Worst scotch I've ever had.
The best single malt Scotch I've ever tasted
New to the World of Scotch, Lagavulin has become one of my favorites. Scotch being an acquired taste I am glad I have matured.
I bought a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask 2 years ago. Tried it. Finished it. It was too much like a $5 grocery store cheesecake... big and thick and unrefined. Saw Lagavulin 16 on sale so thought maybe I should give Islay another try. Folks, this one is the real deal. If Laphroaig Quarter Cask is corner bakery then Lagavulin 16 is a high tea.
YOU SAY IODINE I SAY SHOE POLISH. 10/10 WOULD DRINK AGAIN. THE MORE U DRINK THE MORE U ENJOY.
