Lagavulin 16 Years Review

Country: Scotland 

Region: Islay

Brand: Lagavulin

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 16 Years

ABV:  43 %
Buying Advice: 😋  Totally positive. One of my favourite 2-Go-2 Malts.

Colour: Golden Amber (E-150 is added)

Nose: First impressions are lovely mellow Peat and a Meaty tone that reminds me of drizzling Bacon Fat when you are Char-grilling Pork. The Sea is not far away as well with Salt and Brine coming through along with some Oak. There are some Medicinal Notes as well and even a hint of Rubber but all in a good way. Sweet Barley, Cigar Ash, Soot, Tea, Brown Sugar, Honey, Herbs, Leather, Tobacco, Buttered Toast with Orange Marmalade and Vanilla complete the picture. It is not as wild and exciting as young Islay whiskies like Ardbeg 10 or Laphroaig 10, but it's smooth and inviting. You can certainly tell the extra years. Very nice!

Palate: The delivery is by far not as powerful as I had expected. I hesitate to say it but I found it a bit on the thin side. I believe this dram should have been bottled at 46%. The Lagavulin 16 is actually on the Bitter-Sweet side and a little bit Dusty. I get Peat, Leather, Smoked Fish, Oak, Tobacco, Tea, Malt, Hazelnuts, Caramel/Toffee, Vanilla, Iodine, Cigar Ashes, Smoke, White Pepper, Licorice, Cloves, light Menthol and hints of Dark Chocolate and Espresso. 

Finish: Middle-Long and slightly Bitter with Sweet Barley, Toast, Smoke, Dusty Peat, Tar, Pepper, Cloves, Leather, Tobacco, Caramel, Ashes, Iodine, Menthol and hints of Dark Chocolate and Strong Espresso.

The Lagavulin 16 Years does not improve with added Water although it accepts a few drops.

Rating: 88

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 22

General Remarks: Lagavulin (Gaelic for "The Hollow Where The Mill Is") is one of the oldest distillery sites in Scotland. Around 1816 a local farmer and distiller by the name of John Johnston founded the first legal distillery. Lagavulin is located on the rocky Southern Shore of the Isle of Islay, close to the ruins of Dunyvaig Castle and Port Ellen. Lagavulin receives the slowest distillation of all Islay malts and matures in old Oak Casks. It costs around 75 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Lagavulin 16 Years is a very pleasant Single Malt. On the Nose it is really mellow and laid back. The peat smoke is there but it's not dominant. It's more like a cloud that gently embraces the other flavour components. Very well done. The Palate is smooth and well-balanced,but also ever so slightly thin and dusty. It should have been bottled at 46% in my opinion. The Finish is rather short for an Islay Single Malt. But all in all it's a good Whisky of course and a smooth way of entering the Peaty World of Islay. It's certainly one of my 2-Go-2 Islay Malts and I would love to have a bottle around all the time.

PS: I first reviewed this Whisky in March 2013. Last year I bought another full bottle at the Duty Free Shop at Frankfurt Airport and decided to review it again today. I have adjusted the text as I'm better positioned now to describe the Aromas and Flavours. I slightly changed the rating components but the overall score remained the same.

Jan van den Ende                                        March 5, 2013 and March 20, 2017