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.
This is a fantastic single malt for those looking for something a little different out of their whisky. It does have a strong, almost medicinal smell (iodine is a fitting reference), but don't be put off. The best part is the intense, smoky finish which comes so smoothly to the senses. While not for the faint of heart, this is truly one of the finest drams for those who like a unique experience from their whisky. My favorite single malt to date.
If I ever have the money to buy up hunners of bottles of this beautiful gem; I would do so for one reason only. The first dram(s) from the neck of the bottle on freshly opening; are by far the best. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with the rest of the bottle; though over the years I have ALWAYS loved the 'first out' of this jewel that is pure heaven on earth... In The Grill, Aberdeen, Barbados by the pool, Singapore CBD, or Harrogate, Yorkshire believe it or not. I have had the 25yo cask strength version which would wake the dead, and many other variations from the famous whisky stop at Tyndrum, West Highland Way - The green welly stop: and loved every bottle whatever the cost. But if I did have to for whatever reason, have only one bottle of choice on the shelf: it would surely be the 16yo Lagavulin. Nothing, even comes close to this masterpiece. This is my view. JOSEPH
Clear alcohol is for rich women on diets. This is a real drink.
So far the most balanced regular bottling of any distillery I've tried. At its price range nothing else compares to this beautiful dram.
Have you noticed yours is the only bad review?! this is the best single malt, nay whiskey, period!
