Messesment · 9 September 2026
Lagavulin 16
The Lagavulin distillery is one of 10 active distilleries on the magical island of Islay in Scotland. It's been active since 1816, while the history of distilling in that corner of the island goes back to 1742, in the form of several smaller distilleries that operated illegally. The name comes from old Scots Gaelic, "Lag a' Mhuillin," meaning the hollow by the mill.
Lagavulin 16 is the ideal entry into smoky whisky. Single malt, 43% alcohol, gently smoky notes. The whisky is finished in sherry casks (Pedro Ximénez, to be exact), which give it a different kind of depth and soften the smoke itself.
On the nose: smoke, iodine, sweet caramel, dried fruit. (Iodine sounds alarming; it's the seaside, medicinal note all Islay whiskies carry.)
On the palate: salted caramel, wood, dark chocolate, sherry sweetness.
The finish: long. The smoke stretches through the whole taste and finish, with sweet dried dates and salt.
Fair questions
+Is Lagavulin 16 too smoky for a beginner?
It's smoky, but it's the polite kind. The sherry-cask finish rounds the smoke into something sweet and warm rather than an ashtray. That's exactly why it's the classic first peated bottle.
+What does 'peated' mean?
Peat is compressed, ancient plant matter that Islay has in abundance. Burning it to dry the barley puts smoke into the grain, and the smoke carries all the way into your glass.
+Is it worth €120?
If you already know you enjoy smoke, yes, it's a benchmark bottle. If you've never tried a peated whisky, order a dram of it in a bar first. Cheaper than discovering at bottle price that smoke isn't your thing.