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.
Some of you may think that my whisky palate has not advanced enough yet, however I can only say it how I find it and I will be honest I do not find this whiskey enjoyable. I'm obviously just not an Islay whisky fan! If you have not tried this whisky before I recommend you go for the sample first.
My favorite bedtime scotch. A blast of taste and nose
One of the older peated whisky. Powerfull, but with balance.
This is really great whisky.For me,its the best Islay whsiky! Ardbeg Uigeadail is close,but not close enough!
This is a great starter Islay but it is too monotone, sweet and smooth for my palate. It has a lot of class but is a bit of an old smoothy. Lacks that briny hit, that salt, medicinal, astringency. Too sweet and cloying, like grandma's sherry. Treat yourself to a Bruichladdich Waves or Ardbeg 10 instead.
