My new friend....Lagavulin 16

Related whiskies : Lagavulin 16 Years Old

by **Les Paul** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:01 am

Holy smokes!! Went to a cigar bar around where I live and for the first time......tried this delicious scotch whisky...this nectar from the gods. I wasn't sure if I would care for it because of it being an Islay ......I think it could possibly be my favorite whisky.

Unbelievable. It might beat out The Macallan 18 (which I own) as my favorite dram. Paid $12....drank it neat.

by **Aidan** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:33 am

From all the scotches I've had, this is the best distillery bottling available. It's rich and lovely, without the saltiness of some Islays.

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 11:18 am

A favourite Scotch of mine also... does not take the top spot but an obvious top five.

by **Frodo** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:32 pm

Aidan wrote:From all the scotches I've had, this is the best distillery bottling available. It's rich and lovely, without the saltiness of some Islays.

I'm thinking I may agree with this...

by **lexvo** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 2:07 am

Lagavulin 16Y is my favourite whisky thusfar. Like you, I fell in love with it from the first dram

by **Dubois** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:01 am

Lagavulin 16 Yrs was my first love (with single malts... :wink:

) and is still one of my favorites.

by **jeffk** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:50 pm

It is also one of my favorites.

As I passed through London a few months ago, I picked up a bottle of Laga 16 DE, which I wasn't as impressed with. IMHO, the OB Laga 16 is better.

If you like Laga 16, you may really like Ardbeg 10, IMHO also a fantastic dram, more carmelly, sweet and candy-like.

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:47 pm

Well - it sets a benchmark, doesn't it? A topnotch drop surpassed only by he 12yo.
Try it from a quaich outside on a warm sultry evening as the sun sets. It can't really get much better

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:36 pm

This was my first love, as well. Now it clogs my sinuses. I don't enjoy it nearly as much as I used to.

by **Mark8** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:25 am

I find the Lagavulin 16 to be truely an excellent if not outstanding scotch with character and depth unsurpassed in the realm of Islays. A stellar diamond dram!

by **Aidan** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:45 am

I also like the way this distillery just goes about its business.

by **Drrich1965** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:32 am

About two months ago, I was able to get my hands on a 50 ml of the Lagavulin 12 from the 80s. While some lament about the "fall" of Lagavulin, I found it to be equally wonderful, but not better. It is more intense, straight ahead in its peat, direct and more powerful than the 16. The 16 though has more balance, some sweetness at the end of the palate moving towards the finish that I like. I also agree that the current 16 is more to my liking than the Distillers Edition, at least the year that I have. From what I have read, there is a good deal of batch variation from year to year. I also enjoy a 5yo "Bastard" malt (Vintage Islay) that is reported to be Lagavulin. Very pungent and direct, not as spirity as one would think (with time, see things do change for the better once in a while when the bottle is open).

Rich

by **thehighking** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:07 pm

Mark8 wrote:I find the Lagavulin 16 to be truely an excellent if not outstanding scotch with character and depth unsurpassed in the realm of Islays. A stellar diamond dram!

*cough* Ardbeg. *cough*

by **Aidan** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:08 pm

Give me Lagavulin ahead of the excellent but over-hyped Ardbeg any day.

by **jimidrammer** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:33 pm

I got into Lagavulin about the time it became scarce around these parts, so I pounced on every dusty bottle I could. Now that it's everywhere again and I've picked up a few "new" bottles, I think the profile has changed slightly. The last one I had open was softer, not as pungent, but still very good. Maybe my palate has changed also, with the variety of drams that have come since. :wink:

At least I have 4 reserves from the older batch.

I tried an experiment and added a drop or three of Lagavulin 12 C/S to the 16yo, it fixed it right up.

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:44 pm

thehighking wrote:
*cough* Ardbeg. *cough*

I know I cough when I think of Ardbeg too :wink:

by **mikeymad** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:31 pm

My new friend....Lagavulin 16

Welcome.... I would like you to meet my very old friend (one of my best).

Les - Lag

Lag - Les

enjoy

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:37 pm

mikeymad wrote:
Welcome.... I would like you to meet my very old friend (one of my best).

Les - Lag

Lag - Les

enjoy

It's only when I drink the bottle that I'm Lag-less on both equations :wink:

by **Les Paul** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:39 am

I had another glass of it tonight...with a nice Padron cigar. It is now definitely my favorite whisky.

I have never tried any of the Ardbeg offerings. Should I allocate some funding to purchase a bottle of Ardbeg?

by **Mark8** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:33 am

Les Paul wrote::D

I had another glass of it tonight...with a nice Padron cigar. It is now definitely my favorite whisky.

I have never tried any of the Ardbeg offerings. Should I allocate some funding to purchase a bottle of Ardbeg?

I would recommend it indeed. The Ardbeg 10 is an excellent scotch, reminicent of salty dogs, a burly dram.

by **Bullie** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:40 am

I can just agree to all of the above. Lagavulin is a very good friend since the beginning of time....

One of the best OB's ever. Complexity and harmony filled in a bottle. BUT, it used to be even better some ten years ago...

by **lexvo** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:56 pm

Les Paul wrote::D

I had another glass of it tonight...with a nice Padron cigar. It is now definitely my favorite whisky.

I have never tried any of the Ardbeg offerings. Should I allocate some funding to purchase a bottle of Ardbeg?

I think you should. You will probably like Ardbeg if you like Lagavulin. I myself find these very close - Lagavulin a tiny bit better than Ardbeg - but that's very personal of course as I know some people think otherwise.

by **Frodo** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:12 pm

Les Paul wrote:I have never tried any of the Ardbeg offerings. Should I allocate some funding to purchase a bottle of Ardbeg?

I dunno. I like both Laga and Ardbeg, with the Ardie 10 being more affordable than the Laga 16. Both are really good, but different. Laga 16 is very elegent with many flavours intertwined. I think some sherry casking in the vatting also makes a difference to the complexity. The Ardbeg is more intense and a bit more smokey. I wouldn't call it complex.

One idea would be to try the Laga 12 CS that is around. No sherry casking in this bottling, and you get a smokier dram that is different from the 16. I'm not sugesting staying away from Ardie 10. I'm saying it's a slightly different beast from the Laga 16.

by **Aidan** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:43 am

Yeah, I think the Uigedail is much closer to the Lagavulin 16 than the Ardbeg 10.

by **childo** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:11 am

My answer may change any given day. Indeed, somedays I might even say Talisker - even though it's not an Islay!

But I always come back to Lagavulin 16. It's the one bottle I replace right away.

Related whiskies : Lagavulin 16 Years Old