Lagavulin – 16 Years Old Single Malt (43%)

Lagavulin 16 Years Old is a single malt from the south coast of Islay, bottled at 43%. It began as the distillery's answer to an earlier 12-year-old expression, and became its flagship bottling when Diageo launched the Classic Malts series in the 1980s. It pairs heavy peat smoke with richness and dryness, and is often described as more smoky than peaty. The nose is very smoky and concentrated, with iodine, sweet spices, ripe sherry and creamy vanilla. The palate is thick and rich, with malt, sherry and fruity sweetness beside big peat and oak. The finish is long and spicy, with figs, dates, peat smoke and vanilla.