Lagavulin 16

Hey hey hey, it's that time of the week again. Happy Whiskey Wednesday!

Here we are with likely one of the most popular (and most expensive) Islay whiskies in my cabinet at the moment. The poster-malt of the legendary he-man Ron Swanson, the Lagavulin 16 is an extremely complex, full bodied Scotch that will take the experienced pallet on one hell of a ride, or unfortunately, send the ill-prepared out to the bathroom to (perhaps) rinse their mouth. While not nearly as "extreme" in one sense as it's counterparts and oft more heavily debated Islay cousins - Ardbeg 10 and Lapphroaig 10 - the Lagavulin is absolutely the more cultured of the three. Let's get right in to tasting notes and go over some more thoughts afterwards.

Nose - Up front, you're blasted with brine, smoke, and a kippery, fishy note that is absolutely reminiscent of a sea side peer. This strangely gives way to a slight pineapple, and winds off with citrus and some other, fruity scent, with a buried-but-present vanilla or caramel; I can't nail down which it is because it's just so far down in there.

Palette - starts with brine then moves quickly to smoke, then more smoke, then oh, it's not smoke, it's an ember, oh wait, that ember is starting to catch fire aaaaaannd.... It melts, cools down right before the "fire" starts on your tongue, and instead subsides into more citrus taste and then, as it's still lifting further and further off the palette entirely, it gives you this little kiss of a rye-like minty coolness.

Finish - the finish here, just like the entire adventure of Lagavulin 16, is remarkable in it's simple complexity. Taking right off from the ending note of the palette, the finish is cool in your mouth, but warm everywhere else. It almost feels like waking up on a cold winter morning, brewing some coffee or tea, and drinking it outside while wrapped in a blanket your your favorite jacket. The best part, is that it stays this way, for quite a long while, and while the briney smoke consistent of all the Islay flavors stay with you, occasionally you get that fruity, light, happy side, as if the Lagavulin is sending you a postcard while on holiday.

This has been a pretty long description of a relatively simple process for most whiskies, but I really have to give it to the Lagavulin 16 for being a truly incredible and complex whiskey. Definitely not something I would recommend for someone who isn't familiar with smokey Scotch though, as on the first sip you'd likely be taken aback by the up front smoke and brine - just like the cousins mentioned above. But if you're familiar with the intricacies of smokey whiskeys, this should be a bottle you look out for, if you can afford it, of course. Here in Utah, our featured bottle carries a hefty price of nearly $100 per bottle, so only move on if you're sure this is somewhere you want to go.

A little side note about Lagavulin and Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson), I sorta planned this review out to pair up with one of the most Ron Swanson-esque things I've ever done, or rather than anniversary of it. Exactly one year ago today, I finished construct and staining of my now main-stay and unfortunately warped full-size "ranch" table. Built from hand using a few 8x12's and 4x4's, she's held of for a year now and despite the slight warping, is still holding up strong. I built the table in hopes of serving a Thanksgiving dinner (of my personal hunt) to my family and friends, and while I have yet to make that dream come true, I'm quite happy with my achievements since last year and am looking forward to pushing myself harder in the next. I'm not sure what it is about this time of the year, but it always turns my country woody to the solid ON position, so here's a link to what I've really been digging lately. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBEAyFHlSAo

I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving Day with your loved ones, and may you all drink a dram at dinner!