Lagavulin is one of the most well known (and well loved) of all Scotch whiskies and since today is Lagavulin’s Open Day at the 2015 Feis Ile then it seemed appropriate to do a review of one of their whiskies.
The ‘standard’ 16 year old expression is the one which most people will be familiar with; it’s bottled at 43% ABV.
Colour
Rich amber.
Nose
The signature TCP antiseptic smell is present and correct and supplemented by soft smoke, toffee and fruity sweetness.
Thick rich and oily, salty and sweet – I love the nose of this whisky.
Taste
There’s a bit of alcohol burn initially, but subsides quickly to reveal flavours consistent with the nose.
The sweetness comes through initially, but there is also ashy smoke and oily fish. The mouthfeel is rich and leads into a long dry finish where the tar smoke takes over followed by the return of some sweetness right at the end.
Water changes the flavour but only slightly; it’s better neat in my opinion.
Overall
The Lagavulin 16 is one of the ‘must try’ whiskies of the world.
It’s a full-flavoured Islay which has a big punch of island smoke and salt, but balances it with a smooth sweetness and an amazing long finish.
There’s not really much more to say – if you haven’t already tasted it, seek it out now.
Braw Spirit 