Review #: 7
Description: Lagavulin 16 Year Single Malt
Spirit: Scotch Whisky
Background: Arguably one of the most recognizable Scotch bottlings thanks to Diageo’s marketing (and Ron Swanson), Lagavulin 16 is the flagship product from the historic Islay distillery. Much like many others, this was my entry into heavily peated malts. The price can vary wildly around the country, so let’s check it out and see what it’s worth.
Distillery – Lagavulin
Bottler – Lagavulin
Brand – Lagavulin
Selection – N/A
ABV – 43%
Age – 16 Years
Nose – Peaty smoke with a bit of acetone on the back end
Taste – Rich caramel, toasted walnut, ripe cherry
Finish – black pepper, warming sensation on the lips, campfire smoke (in a good way)
Score: 6
Would I buy a bottle? Probably not (see below)
Thoughts: So this bottle has a lot of sentimental value to me, as I purchased it to share with my Groomsmen on my wedding day. In retrospect, it was a lot of heavy peat to throw on them (as none of them were big into whisky) and even starting to review, it’s very difficult to get past the peat. Smoke was the only thing I could pull from the nose. However, the nuttiness and fruits come in on the palate and works so well with the lingering smoke on the back end. Now to price. I picked this up for around $65. Even at that point, I think it’s a bit high. But it could be $100 for a bottle in some markets, and that was prior to tariffs. Now it retails in my state for $120 which is just insane. At $60, I’m ok with buying it to share with others on a special occasion, but other than that, it’s hard to justify.