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.
At first, I wasn't quite sure that I wasn't to like this: the smell is distinct and the whisky is clearly – and uncompromisingly – peaty. However, after finishing off the bottle much quicker than expected I was fully convinced that this is a brilliant scotch.
Just purchased a bottle from Costco Nr chester really looking forward to opening this later near Christmas time this is my first bottle after reading the reviews ,I would like to visit. Islay to see how the whisky is made
I personally favor Lowland and Islay Scotch especially. I tried Lagavulin 16 for the first time and it was an epiphany of the entire soul of Scotch. The peat is massive and undeniable. Certainly not for the weaker palate. But it is so rich.and complex beyond that. I was simply floored at the beauty of this drink. 3 ounces, 2 cubes.
Good peated whisky!
One word ; Excellent .
