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've been wanting to try this whisky since I've learned about it. I figured since it is about $85 a bottle for the 16, and none of the bars around here have it, I would try Laphroaig 10 first since it's only $53 and it is also a popular Islay neighbor to Lagavulin. It took awhile to get usedto Laphroaig, but I learned to love peat, and the taste of iodine. So Lagavulin was like an older, sherry finished Laphroaig, that has had time in the barrel to mature into a focused Islay whisky, that has some of the medicinal astrigency of an intense Islay, as well as the body, flavor, and finish of a world class single malt. I still love Laphroaig, but after a glass, you want something kinder, like Glenkinchie, or Glenmorangie.
Complex and firm. Big body, big flavour, big finish. Enormous personality. Austere, in a old, genuine way. A great experience.
Complex and firm. Big body, big flavour, big finish. Enormous personality. Austere, in a old, genuine way. A great experience.
Lagavulin 16 is possibly the best Islay Malt i have ever had the pleasure to drink. I would probably go as far to say its the best scotch every. How anyone can say this sweet, peaty honeyish malt is anything less than exceptional is beyond me. Enjoy it.
Best of Islay, best of any peat-heavy dram out in the market. Not as smoky as the likes of Laphroaig but perfectly balanced, with a fruity background and a burning character. Soft and mellow, 16 years have been enough to tame this beast. This is the whisky I would pick for any day of the year, any time of the day.
