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.
If you don't like this you don't like Islay, I had a crazy Highland loyalist tell me he dumped half a bottle down the drain I probably would have given him at least $30 for it - smoke and peat all the way
What a wonderful whisky. Powerfully smoky and rich. Sipping it now and loving it.
What a wonderful whisky this 16 year old is. If I could afford it I would drink little else. Treat yourself.
Great smoke flavor. Absolutely wonderful explosion on the palate, with a smooth follow-up. I love this Scotch.
I’m no expert but I know what I like and this is very, very good. A multi-layered and surprising experience.
