Company: Diageo
Distillery: Lagavulin Distillery
Region: Lagavulin, Isle of Islay, Scotland
Aging: 9 Years
ABV: 43% ABV
Proof: 86 Proof
Mash Bill: 100% Single Malt
Non-Chill Filtered: No
MSRP Price: $105
Lagavulin 16 Year Tasting Notes
Appearance: Amber
Nose: Sweet caramelized brown sugar, smoke, peat, vanilla, oak, dark fruits, clove, earthy, tobacco, smoked meats
Palate: Smoke, peat, oak, earthy, tobacco, spices, pepper
Finish: Smooth medium finish that leaves you with nice smoke, peat, and oak flavors with a spice and pepper on the tail end
Is Lagavulin 16 Year an Approachable Whisky?
Lagavulin 16 Year is a great smokey and peaty Scotch whisky.
If you’re a fan of smoke and peat, you will appreciate this pour.
If you’re new to smoke and peat, be prepared to have your taste buds lit up with flavor.
Is Lagavulin 16 Year Complex?
Lagavulin 16 Year has a lot of layers of flavor.
Lagavulin always has a smoky peatiness to it, but this bottle has some additional layers added to it over the Lagavulin 8 Year.
On the nose, you get your usual smoke and peat but you also get a nice sweetness that is full of brown sugar, vanilla, and some dark fruits.
On the palate, it’s very similar except you can really taste the oak and it lifts the flavor profile to be a bit fuller and robust.
The finish is quite enjoyable and smooth even though it is quite long.
The flavors stick around on your palate and have a nice buttery mouthfeel that is quite enjoyable.
What are Lagavulin 16 Year’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Lagavulin 16 Year’s strongest attributes are most certainly the amount of smoke and peat (like all Lagavulin Scotch Whisky).
If I had to go a layer deeper, the next strongest attribute would be the amount of oak and spices that are present here.
You can really tell that the 16 years of aging helps the whisky mature.
Is Lagavulin 16 Year a go-to whisky?
Lagavulin 16 Year is an excellent go-to whisky.
The smoke and peat flavor profile goes very well with a nice seared steak dinner or a juicy burger fresh off the grill.
Even though the price keeps increasing on this bottle, it is worth it to have one on your shelf at all times.
Is Lagavulin 16 Year priced accurately to its quality?
Lagavulin 16 Year does deliver on its price tag.
While it’s a bit pricey, it is one of the bigger players in the smoke and peaty Scotch Whisky space alongside some of my other favorites such as Laphroaig, Ardbeg, and Bruichladdich.
Conclusion for Lagavulin 16 Year
Lagavulin 16 Year is a very enjoyable Scotch Whisky.
When it comes to smokey, peaty Scotches, Lagavulin is always a top contender for me.
Lagavulin is unique in that it leans more into the smoke category than the heavy peat which is a nice balance sometimes if you’re planning to have a drink with a meal or will be camping around a fire making smores.
Let Us Know What You Think
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
If you decide to give this bottle a shot, please let me know on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Thanks for reading and cheers!
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