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Lagavulin 16 Year Old

an older uncle

0 687

@ozmaltReview by @ozmalt

7th Nov 2013

0

Lagavulin 16 Year Old
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    87

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I seem to be on a bit of a whisky-family trend so will stay with the theme. This is the third of my Islay malts and the one I most looked forward to tasting.

It reminds me of an older uncle in a dinner suit. Worldly, experienced, sophisticated but a little slow now and not into late nights.

I made notes when I first opened the bottle and again after 3 weeks. The nose seemed the same and I smothered the glass to get wonderful wafts of orange rind smoked with liquorice. I thought of Cointreau and over ripe lemons.

Without water I tasted orange peel and candied fruit. Christmas cake mix when the bag is first opened. Big cloves.

With a splash the fruit warmed and reminded me of Jaffa's being slowly eaten by the girl next to you in a movie theatre. I tasted ripe plums, strawberries poached in Muscat and something I'll describe as curry and spice at the end.

The finish was not as long as I expected and the hints of salty smoke with nutmeg and lemon rind seemed to fade. The Laphroaig QC and Ardbeg 10 remained longer in comparison.

It's a smooth, warm and unflappable malt. I would say it is reliable but it is more than that. To bring back the family theme it is an Uncle who will always give you some quality time but will not let you borrow his 2 year old, 3 series BMW.

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6 comments

@PMessinger
PMessinger commented

Another great review @ozmalt. My admiral/wife and I find a family connection with this one as well. We both love this one and she and her two sons are big peat whisky fans. I always have to keep some around when they come to town. :)

11 years ago 0

@ozmalt
ozmalt commented

Thanks @PMessinger. I have an old friend who raves about Lagavulin and now I know why. The more I delve into the Islay malts the more I like them. Any suggestions on the next one would be much appreciated :)

11 years ago 0

@FMichael
FMichael commented

ozmalt - looking at your cabinet - if you're into Islay malts - you might consider Bowmore 12 yr...Reasonably priced, and a very good dram IMO.

11 years ago 0

L
Lifewaterforce commented

Port Charlotte, Caol Ila, Bowmore Tempest or even Kilchoman! Thanx for the review, it seems Lagavulin has lost it legs this year, both the 12 & 16 have had blips in quality.

11 years ago 0

@PMessinger
PMessinger commented

Well there is not much I can add except maybe Bunnahabhain 12yr old, Kilchoman and McClelland Islay are young whisky's but good for getting some nuances from Islay. Also Black Bottle is a blend that has roots in Islay. My absolute favorite would be Bruichladdich Octomore for awesome peat and earthy overtones. I also think Port Charlotte and Caol ila are great for your peat exploration. Hope this was helpful. :)

11 years ago 0

@ozmalt
ozmalt commented

Thanks for your suggestions @FMichael, @Lifewaterforce and @PMessinger. I have noted all and will drop unsubtle hints pre-xmas shopping as well as scanning shelves at the local bottle shop. Cheers

11 years ago 0