Lagavulin 16 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 43% vol | 70cl | Smoky | Intense | Peat-Rich | Sweet & Salty Single Malt Whisky | with Gift Box | Aged in Oak Casks

Ah Lagavulin 16, the pinnacle of Scotch, perfection in a bottle and well and truly my ride or die whisky.My whisky journey began a year or so ago when I saw a bottle of Bowmore No. 1 on offer and decided to try it as my partner is from Orkney and I wanted to embrace some of the culture. I'm also a huge lover of Parks and Rec. and Ron Swanson is, in my honest opinion, a true role model. A proper 'man's man', and with an iron clad set of morals and a 'stash to be envious of. When such a man describes something as 'Nectar of the Gods' you know it must be special and I knew I had to try it. Well lo' and behold a bottle appeared for me at Christmas and I opened the box to finally stare at that iconic bottle in the flesh for the first time.I opened the plastic wrapping around the cork and pulled it for the first time, pouring the first of the luscious gold liquid into my glass. I was truly terrified! What if I hated it? What if Mr. Swanson had mislead me? Well in one whiff that fear evaporated all at once. When I finally put the glass to my lips the first time I immediately entered a heaven like no other. Below you'll find my tasting notes which I hope are helpful and perhaps come across to you too:Nose: A classic Islay with a twist. There's smoke there but it's not overwhelming. Maritime with a good amount of sea salt and just the tiniest hint of iodine. It's woody and intense but it takes you to the edge and hangs you off it, then just as you begin to fall pulls you back into a warming embrace. But there's more... A hint of fruit that's unlike your typical Speyside and certainly a world away from other Islays. To give you an idea, picture the smoke of Caol Ila 12, add a hint of the classic Bowmore citrus and crank up the intensity. Then add a dash of tropical fruit and banana not unlike a rum. It's exquisite.Palate: There's smoke immediately but again it doesn't overwhelm. Lagavulin is widely known as one of the smokier single malts and I'd agree but it doesn't punch you in the face in quite the same way as it's neighbouring distilleries of Ardbeg and Laphroaig. It's utterly unique as well in that it flirts with both oiliness and dryness and blends them so flawlessly. Oily in that it coats your mouth and you always know it's there, but dry in that it steps back before it gets too much. Behind the smoke there's more of that odd tropical fruit with saltiness. There's the classic medicinal note of iodine/TCP as well but it's only ever a cameo appearance to remind you that this is an Islay malt. Lagavulin takes you on a deep dive into unknown waters, then just as it all begins to get a bit much it lifts you back to the surface on a wave of fresh mint.Finish: The finish starts with the hint of mint from the palate. Fruitiness steps back forward through the smoke which serves as the bed on which all the other notes sit. It's a long finish and a satisfying one at that. This is a whisky that wants to be remembered.I discovered fairly early on that I'm a fan of Islay, but this is definitely not a whisky for beginners. Start with Highland Park 12 and then try one of the Talisker offerings. Then, when you're ready to make the jump to Islay, go for either of the aforementioned Caol Ila or Bowmore 12 year olds. The Ila will show you the smokier elements whilst with the Bowmore it's the fruit and honey that comes forward. They'll prepare your palate for some of the more intense offerings from this wonderful island.Back to the Lagavulin, to conclude, it's sheer magic in a bottle. Whether you love it or hate it, you'll feel something and feel it intensely. It provokes a response on a deeper level and it's wonderful. My only criticism would be Diageo's shameless price gouging. At 70 quid a bottle it's still a relative steal when you can afford it but I've heard on good authority that the price is like to soon go well over £100. Before that happens do yourself a favour and grab a bottle, even if you save it for later. And if you don't like it, send me the rest! This is my special occasion whisky and the one I always gaze longingly at when financial constraints force me to reach for a cheaper bottle from the cabinet. An absolute marvel of a whisky.

This is such a good whisky if you like a slightly peaty flavour. The smokiness is the perfect balance. Very easy to drink. The value was outstanding. It was the cheapest I’d found so my husband thought I’d treated him well. The bottle makes a lovely gift if you like a malt for Islay. It is a strong whisky, so a few nips and you’ll be warm and toasty inside on a winters night!

My Favourite Islay Malt, great flavour, acquired taste, smells like burnt plastic. hahaha, but lovely to drink, got this as a really good price during prime week.

It's just amazing. I was a bit skeptical about it reading all the reviews about it tasting like 'drinking a cigar', 'ash' and so on. It is smokey. But that is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the vanilla and caramel flavours. On the nose you're first hit by the smoke, however you need to give it another few sniffs to get deeper into the vanilla and caramel sweetness. On the palate the smoke will be there, but not that prominent, definitely not like drinking a cigar. You will need to savour it for a while and this will bring out the vanilla and then caramel flavours. The finish is a long smokey one. I can still taste the subtle smoke after finishing a glass. It's amazing neat and on the rocks. Also makes a perfect smokey cokey, which will bring out the vanilla flavours even more, but will retain the subtle smokiness. It is a truly amazing whisky and you need to savour it properly (smell, taste etc,) to appreciate just how magnificent it is. Overall it is smooth, no burn at all and very easy to drink. It is a bit pricey, but that can be expected from such a gem. If I knew how good this is and if it would be slightly cheaper, I would definitely get two bottles. Highly recommended! There is a reason this has more than 10,000 reviews and a near 5 star rating!

A nice Islay malt with a much better price than the supermarkets.

There's loads of reviews of Lagavulin 8 that delve into the nose, taste & finish in far better detail than I ever could, so I'll just say this - many people will buy the 8 instead of the 16 due to the latter's ever-rising price, but don't think of the 8 as simply a cheap replacement that's not as good. The 8 doesn't have the same complexity & depth as the 16, but it's got a surprisingly different flavour profile and on it's own merits ranks as an absolutely great whisky.I didn't need to buy this, as I already had bottles of both the 8 & 16 at home, which likely would last me the next 12-18 months - Lagavulin is great, but not an every-day dram for me (more of a Speyside fan). However, when it popped up on the front page at £38 on offer (normally £50-55), I had to pick up some more. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last time we see Lagavulin 8 below £40, particularly based on Diageo's huge price bumps for the 16 (~40-50% increase in the UK between 2020 and now; some markets like Australia & the US have seen prices jump nearly 100% in that same period).Grab it while it's cheap, because it's not going to last.

Used to be my personal favourite . Strong, Smokey type with the premium finish. These days, it’s lost an edge and the smoke hits different , maybe I’ve changed but I feel it doesn’t hit perfectly for the price point anymore. Only a few years ago you could get it for £45.

Quality production