Lagavulin 16 Year

Introducing 16-year-old Lagavulin

Among the single malt whiskey bottles considered as “Classic malt” by Diageo, Lagavulin 16 is ranked second, behind Talisker 10 years old. Lagavulin 16 has been the distillery’s iconic whiskey since its creation and continues to be so today.

Lagavulin 16 comes from the famous peat whiskey land – the island of Islay – and is relatively old. This is why it’s no surprise that it is one of the most popular whiskeys globally. It has retained its position as the best-selling and most loved Islay bottle throughout the years.

Bottled at 43%, the 16-year-old Lagavulin has a deep amber color that closely resembles burnt bronze. The bottle and box design has an old-fashioned look, similar to yellowed newspapers of years gone by.

The Lagavulin 16-year-old whiskey still maintains its consistent quality today. However, it is worth mentioning that this whiskey was absolutely amazing back in the 1990s. The design of Lagavulin bottles has remained virtually unchanged over the past two decades, making it difficult to determine when a bottle of Lagavulin whiskey was bottled. Nevertheless, there are slight variations in packaging that can allow you to distinguish batches of whiskey from one another. The best batches of whiskey from the late 1980s to early 1990s can be identified by the royal seal at the top of the vertically oval bottle label, which reads “by the queen herself”, and the words “1816” and “Isla” painted in gold on both sides of the bottle label. Whiskey bottles from the late 1990s still have the royal seal, but the lettering is painted in gold and placed next to the label. For both bottles, the writing at the bottom of the label reads “White Horse Distillers Glasgow”. However, this has been changed to “Port Ellen” for whiskeys released after 1999. In Lagavulin’s newest whiskeys, the royal seal has been replaced with an image of a sailing ship.

Lagavulin 16 Tasting Notes

Flavor: Rich, deep, passionate with the main ingredients coming from cinnamon and vanilla spices. Lagavulin 16 is famous for being one of the most passionate and characteristic smoky bottles of the Islay region, extremely seasoned. However, it is also balanced by layers of sweet spices.

Taste: The flavor is strong enough, although not as intense as the smell. The taste on the palate is a balance that comes from three elements: dry wood, seasoned smoke, and fruit sweetness.

Aftertaste: Very long with spicy spices and a very characteristic scent of cinnamon.

Conclusion: The three elements that make up the brand of Lagavulin 16 are dry wood, cinnamon, and smoke. The three flavors are very distinct but well-balanced and combine perfectly with each other, and the rich, seasoned wine easily conquers any demanding wine lover.