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.
Lagavulin is my top choice from Islay, and one of my favourite whiskies overall. An incredibly strong peat monster, with one of the best finishes out of all whiskies.
The very best single malt ever. Laphroiag follows.
I first tasted this single malt on a trip to St. Andrews in 2004 and I was totally amazed by it, this is truly what GREAT single malt taste like, wonderful earthy, peat smell and flavor with a hint of sweetness, everytime I take a sip it takes me back to Scotland.
In my price range (up to £40 a bottle) this is by far and away the best single malt I have ever had the pleasure to taste. I can't describe how fulfilling it is. Without a doubt the best I have ever tasted, and I assure you, there have been many. This is miles and miles above anything else. If you want to venture into silly prices for good whisky, try this first. And I'm English, so what do I know eh?!
Being an Islay fan this is one of the best examples of an Islay dram. It is silky smooth on the palate with what I got as sharp citrus flavours too. The only reason it does not get 5 stars is the finish was a little harsh compared to my favourite Islay; Caol Ila, but that is personal opinion!!
