(한국어 시음기 밑에 있어요!)
Often considered to be the "King" of Islay whisky, the Lagavulin 16 is quite possibly the most famous and most highly regarded of the many whiskies produced by this rugged little island just off the west coast of Scotland. No doubt, a sizable chunk of this modern fame stems from it being the drink of choice of Ron Swanson, a character from the highly acclaimed US sitcom, "Parks and Recreation" but this full-bodied Islay dram has had its own sizable following for quite a long time! The 16 year old is the core release from Lagavulin and while the range has expanded in recent years to also include an 8 year old expression (which feels a lot closer in style to the core release of Lagavulin's local Port Ellen rival, Ardbeg and their 10 year old expression), the 16 year old remains the workhorse of the brand.
Vitals:
ABV: 43%
Colour: Amber
Chill-filtered: Yes.
Nose: Lots of peat smoke, cigarette ash and hospital grade hand sanitiser/iodine at the forefront, with notes of orange peel and briny seawood occasionally intermingling. As it opens up, tobacco and burning wood notes become more and more pronounced, followed by mocha, vanilla beans and just the tiniest hint of apple cider vinegar . 21/25
Palate: Intensely smoky on the initial sip, but quickly mellows out as the barrel influence takes over, bringing with it notes of vanilla, cherries, toffee and even a slight hint of apple. It's not long though before this peters out and the spirits character begins to shine though, and malted barely, pickle brine and salt rise to the center of the stage. The smoke lingering in the background eventually beginss to rise in intensity again. 23.5/25
Finish: As it draws to the finale, peat smoke and cigar ash dominate giving a long and lingering finish. 18/25
Value*: One of the more expensive mainstream Scotch whiskies in Korea, thanks in part to its mid-tier age statement. That said, whiskies of comparative quality to this such as Ardbegs Uigeadail on not a great deal cheaper. Sadly the mid tier of Scotches are absurdly overpriced here. 9.5/25
Conclusion:
It's not difficult to see why this is a firm favourite of many Islay aficionados. It has all the elements of the other famed whiskies of this island, but the extra age in the barrel has rounded off some of the rougher edges, creating a far more approachable and mellow spirit that is exceptionally complex.
Basic Rating: 83.3%
Price Adjusted Rating*: 72%
Daily Drinker: As much as I would love to be like Ron Swanson and drink this every day, it's just too prohibitively expensive here to do so. So that's a no.
Possible pairing: Strong cheese, perhaps Parmesan, Pecurino Romano, Kefalotyri or even blue cheese?
Where to find in Korea: The Malt shop, The Whisky Shop by Barrel, Jurashop, Namdaemun, Wine & More.
TLDR Version:
N: iodine, oranges, seaweed, ash, peat smoke → burning wood and tobacco → mocha, apple vinegar and vanilla.
P: heavy smoke → vanilla, cherries, apples and toffee → pickle brine, malted barley and salt.
F: Long and smoky.
V: Too expensive, like most mid-tier whiskies in Korea.
C: Complex and well rounded, but still very smoky.
한국어 시음평:
N: 요오드, 오렌지, 해초,재, 피트스모크 → 불타는 나무, 담배향, 모카, 사과 식초, 바닐라.
P : 강렬한 스모크 → 바닐라, 체리, 사과, 카라멜 → 피클 소금물, 맥아 보리, 소금 초콜릿.
F: 피트스모크. 피니쉬가 매우 길어요.
V : 너무 비싸요.
C: 복합적이고 균형이 잘 잡힌 위스키이면서도 굉장히 스모키해요.
Buy / Mooch / Pass: Mooch!!!
Review by Glasgowhisky
2020/07/04
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