🥃 Lagavulin 16 Year Old
Core Lagavulin line: peated single malt from Islay, at least 16 years in oak, 43% ABV according to the producer.
Lagavulin 16 Year Old is the core single malt of the Lagavulin distillery on the Scottish island of Islay. According to the producer, it is aged for at least 16 years in oak casks and bottled at 43% ABV. It is a peated whisky with notes of smoke, iodine and sea air; Difford's Guide calls it Islay's representative in Diageo's Classic Malts range.
Production. Lagavulin stands in Lagavulin Bay; the name comes from the Gaelic Laggan Mhouillin, meaning 'the mill in the valley'. Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, single malt Scotch is distilled at one distillery from malted barley and matured in Scotland for at least three years; the age on the label is that of the youngest whisky in the bottle. The producer does not name the cask types on its product page. Its description gives an intense peat smoke aroma with iodine and seaweed, and a dry smoky palate with soft sweetness and salt.
Why it matters to you. This is the reference expression of the brand, against which the others are compared: Distillers Edition is sweeter and has a sherry-cask finish, while 11 Year Old Sweet Peat is younger. Beginners are better off starting with a small measure and a drop of water. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
|---|---|
| EU category | 2 - whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | peated barley malt |
| Minimum maturation | at least 16 years in oak casks (per the producer) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 43% ABV (per the producer and Difford's Guide) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Lagavulin 16 Year Old → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Lagavulin, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🥃 Islay whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat, 🥃 Lagavulin Distillers Edition, 🥃 Lagavulin Distillers Edition, 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Laphroaig
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Lagavulin 16 is aged in sherry casks?
The producer's product page only mentions oak casks for at least 16 years and does not specify cask types. Sherry casks are named in the description of Distillers Edition.
What is the ABV of Lagavulin 16?
According to the producer and Difford's Guide, 43% ABV; check the label.
What does the name Lagavulin mean?
According to Difford's Guide, it comes from the Gaelic Laggan Mhouillin, meaning 'the mill in the valley'.
What to read next
- 🥃 Lagavulin Distillers Edition — Lagavulin line, matured twice, including in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks; 43% ABV; limited batches.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Islay whisky — Protected locality of Scotch whisky: the name Islay may appear only on Scotch distilled on the island of Islay, which has 10 distilleries.
- 🥃 Laphroaig — Distillery and brand of peated single malt whisky on the island of Islay, founded in 1815; it has its own malting floors and uses Islay peat smoke.
Similar
🥃 Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat · 🥃 Lagavulin Distillers Edition · 🥃 Caol Ila 18 Year Old · 🥃 Caol Ila 25 Year Old · 🥃 Caol Ila Moch · 🥃 Laphroaig 10 Year Old
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Malts.com (Diageo): Lagavulin 16 Year Old (43% Alc/Vol.; aged in oak casks for at least 16 years; peat smoke, iodine, seaweed)
- Difford's Guide: Lagavulin 16yo Islay single malt whisky (43 %, 16 years, Islay representative in Diageo's Classic Malts; name from Gaelic Laggan Mhouillin)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: Scotch Whisky and its categories (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)