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.
don't want to rant to much as trying to restrain usual verbosity. So straight to the point.... very nice !
Should be taken off the shelves.minus 5 rating
I'm no stranger to smoke and peat, I've had and find examples of Laphroaig quite agreeable, and when I saw my first sight of Lagavulin on a bar shelf I was quick to order it. The first comments on the smell as the glass arrived at the table, were from my family, "WOAH, did you order gasoline?" They were right. Actually, I've liked smelling gas in a car shop much better than what was in my glass. I wasn't sure I even wanted to drink it. Further whiffs revealed strong formeyldehiyde medicinal qualities that kicked me in the face and corrupted my brain through my nostrils like rotting black magic smelling salts. My first sip was a horrid disgusting burn of fetid gasoline and what I can only describe as burnt pork soaked in cheap liquid smoke. After reading so many good reviews I'm wondering if what was in the bottle was something quite different or off, because I don't understand how mine was so different and bad! The family jokes about and I will not forget that revolting burnt swine gasoline profile to this day. The worst drink I've ever had. Negative 5 stars.
To all those that say Lagavulin 16 tastes bad, or like tcp, or crap, etc, face it: Whisky is not for you! Maybe some Ribena or coke, or something along those lines may tickle your fancy. Whisky is for those who understand and enjoy the finer, more elegant things in life. If you really have to drink whisky, why not try Tesco's basics blended scotch whisky. Very nice indeed for the confused palate.
This is simply a beautiful whisky.
