I have a love story with this bottle. It was the first Scotch I ever tasted and was recommended by a dear friend of mine. I drink it on holiday, I drink it on special occasions and I drink it for fun. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do. It is one of the Classic Malts series of Scotland.
“A must have sipper for the beginner and a staple in any collection.”
Lagavulin 16 years
Distilled by: Lagavulin Distillery
Type: Peated Single Malt Scotch
Region: Southern Islay, Scotland, UK
Age: 16 years, aged in American oak barrels
ABV: 43% (86 proof)
Mash bill: 100% malted barley from Port Ellen dried with peat.
Colouring: Yes
Appearance: 9/10
The bottle look gives a weird impression of balance between elegance & strength. It comes in a dark-grey tone box with a complete description on the back. The cork top brings an element of quality to the whole thing and offers a tight seal preventing oxygen from penetrating & spoiling the precious whisky. The liquid has nice amber & gold hues with some medium-sized legs falling slowly on the side of the glass. I recently discovered that Lagavulin adds some colouring agents for consistency between batches, although I don’t see it as a way to trick consumers, so I don’t mind that much.
Nose: 13.5/15
The first thing that comes to mind is smoke & burning moist grass, but in a pleasant & warm kind of way. As you give in to the Scotch, you find yourself between a whisper of maple syrup, vanilla beans & honey. There are pronounced notes of apple compote & overripe peaches mingling with some woody flavours such as cinnamon, cloves, old leather & tobacco. The brine of the ocean water comes in not long after adding a depth of saltiness & seaweed. I love the bold aromas of this whiskey although a hint more complexity would have been welcome.
Mouth: 13.5/15
More peat. More smoke. A string of cooked and dried fruits like apples, pears, figs & raspberries and a sea breeze evolves side by side in the mouth. The leather takes over the tobacco & the oak brings again more notes of baking spices. The sweet aromas of maple syrup, vanilla & honey develops in a sort of maple-honey glazed black forest ham. A faint sweetness is balanced by a nice full body & the heat of the alcohol. Same goes here, the intense aromas are quite pleasant but more subtlety would have made this experience near perfect.
Finish: 9/10
The finish lingers for a while & leaves a trail of peat, charred smoked meat & rich dried fruits. It leaves you wanting more, that’s for sure. The alcohol is warm & pleasant.
Overall: 90/100
One of my favourite peated scotch. It has an incredible intensity, yet has a touch of complexity. A must have sipper for the beginner and a staple in any collection.
3-word description:
Peaty, Fruity & Full.
The Reference:
More information @malts.com
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