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.
Not for the novice scotch drinker. A must for every scotch cabinet. Campfire in a glass. Definitely the smokiest dram you will ever have. Don't start with this in a scotch life or evening....but finish with it!
My most favorite single malt. Tremendous character. Really tastes like whisky.
This was the first Islay malt that I loved, and remains the whisky that I love the most. I'm nothing close to a peat head as my next three favorites are all highlands. (for perspective: Highland Park, Glenmorangie, Balvenie) Aside from Ardbeg Auriverdes (limited, rare, and somewhat overpowering) this one is more pronounced than I can imagine a whisky being, without being offensive to someone not accustomed to Islay peat. It's much less phenolic than Laphroaig and Ardbeg and yet still the smoke is pronounced enough without smelling like an old gym shoe on fire. This whisky is incredible and will perhaps remain my absolute favorite indefinitely. Before trying this, or any Islay malt, I'd recommend the Highland Park 12 (or 15 if you can find it) first. Theirs is a nice stepping stone to the smokiness that this one provides.
Great smoke. One of my favorites. Especially the long after taste. Genuine whiskey!!
Some Hype. Sorry but this is horrible.
