Lagavulin 16 Year Old

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Islay's archetypal heavyweight smoky malt. Slow distillation and 16 years in cask give rich peat, dried-fruit sweetness and a deep finish.

Peated

Details

Brand	Lagavulin
Distillery	Lagavulin
Origin	Scotland / Islay
Style	Single Malt
Age	16 yrs
ABV	43%
Cask	—

Flavour profile

Smoky
Sweet
Fruity
Spicy
Rich

* Editorial estimate.

Tasting notes

Nose: Rich peat smoke with seaweed, iodine, dried fruit and sweet, sherry-like notes.
Palate: Weighty and mellow — smoke, malt sweetness, dried fruit and a hint of salt.
Finish: Very long, with smoke and sweetness fading slowly.

* Editorial tasting notes.

How to enjoy it

Neat
With water

Savour this weighty dram neat. A few drops of room-temperature water open up the sweetness behind the smoke.

Food pairing

Smoked dishes, roast meats, blue cheese and dark chocolate.

Background & production

Made at Lagavulin Distillery on Islay's south coast. Founded in 1816, it is also known as the heart of the White Horse blend.

Its hallmark is slow production: 55–75 hours of fermentation, around five hours for the first distillation and more than nine for the second, giving a weighty, mellow spirit. It is matured mainly in refill European oak casks.

The 16 Year Old is the core expression, bottled at 43%.