Lagavulin – 16 Years Old

We are lucky enough to be part of a fantastic whisky club. They are a great group of blokes, all who share a passion for the nectar, are happy to try things that are new and always have an eye out for a bargain.

So when I spotted the Lagavulin 16 on an Italian website going for a song, we all pitched in and got a full shipping box to share. After the nerves of wondering what would arrive or what the con was, I was relieved and overjoyed to find exactly what I was expecting.

Aroma: Peaty, Medicinal and Smokey.

Taste: This deep, dark wooden whisky looks like a brooding storm in a glass. So it’s fitting that it’s flavour is akin to a heavy downpour.

It’s initially oily, thick and sweet on the tongue. Then the cloud bursts and the peat showers the tongue in smoke and hospital cleaning fluid. This rich, strongly medicinal flavour gives way to peat, which brings with it salt and seaweed notes.

There is spice, zest and wood. This flavour numbs the tongue, is salty and leaves the lips feeling buttery.

Mouthfeel: This whisky is powerful, smooth and punchy.

Overall: This punchy, powerful whisky feels at first clumsy and over the top. However as it sits in the glass, it widens, becomes more subtle and more nuanced. It’s a classy Islay.

Aroma: 17

Start: 16

Middle: 16

Finish: 17

Value: 17

Overall: 83/100

More information: The Classic Malts

Available: www.bernabei.co.uk