A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of my bottle of Lagavulin 16 on Instagram. To honour the classics was my idea behind it. However, I didn’t write a review about it thinking there’d be no need to still review such a classic as this. But to my surprise a Lagavulin 16 review was highly requested! And as it turned out to be one of my most popular Instagram posts of the last months, I decided to grab pen and paper and start writing.
The Lagavulin 16 is by any means a classic, and though it’s already quite heavily peated it’s been a gateway for many people into peated whisky. It’s the age and sherry influences that makes this dram so accessible, while remaining complex and intruigingly smokey!
Lagavulin is also a distillery that speaks to the imagination. With Brand Ambassadors such as Iain Macarthur and Nick Offerman taking the brand to new levels of popularity. And when you get to the distillery they make it worth your while! It used to be an excellent value for the money dram as well… but sadly those times have changed. Prices seem to go down again, but over the past 3 years they have doubled!
But despite the price hikes and the fact that this whisky has been coloured and chill-filtered… this is an all-time favourite of many, and for good reason. Lagavulin 16 has the perfect balance of sweet & peat and is sure to be a crowd pleaser at any party. So, let’s get on with the review, or in other words my tasting notes, quickly!
Tasting Notes – Lagavulin 16
ABV: 43% (86 proof)
Age: 16 years old
Distillery: Lagavulin
Chill-filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: No
Nose:
Warm pancakes with a maple syrup glazing and bacons crisps sprinkled on top. This is such a good combination of sweet & peat. Notes of dark chocolate covered raisins, dried figs and molasses pair beautifully with notes of steaming hot porridge, vegetal peat and burnt rubber. Notes of charred meats and cigar ashes adds even more depth.
Palate:
Cured meats, dried tobacco leaves, maple syrup, and oddly enough… strawberry lemonade. Ash, charred coals, and hints of fudge. Caramel and oak shavings. There’s a whole plethora of flavours to discover here, and I love that while there’s always a high contrast of flavours, it remains balanced throughout.
Finish:
The finish is medium long and finds a nice balance between fruit and peat. There are some tannic and ashy flavours, balanced out by elements of pear, cherry, and more strawberry lemonade. The mouthfeel is rather filming and does leave the mouth a tad dry after a while, but in a pleasant way.
Verdict:
Lagavulin 16, perhaps the Ultimate Classic? When I bought my bottle a year or 2 ago for around 60 bucks I was over the moon with my purchase. Seeing it go for double that at some places I’m not sure I’d replace it very soon though… for that kind of money I’d rather save up a little more and go for one of their yearly cask strength releases from Diageo’s Special Releases. That having been said this is still an objectively great dram and a classic for a reason. It’s a must try for any whisky lover!
Thank you so much for reading my Lagavulin 16 review!