The first time I tried Lagavulin 16, I almost spit it out in disgust, “how could anyone drink this? It tastes like burnt tire rubber and acid… and death…” I almost swore off Islay scotch for good. Looking back on my peat journey, I wish I had tried Lagavulin 8 Year before their 16 year, because it turns out it’s much more in-line with my personal tastes.
Where Lagavulin 16 just smashes you in the face with peat, the 8 year takes a more subtle approach. While it’s probably still too harsh for peat beginners, it’s much closer to a reasonable middle ground than the 16 year. Neat, I get a lot of spicy and sweet notes at the end, it blends very well with the peaty smoke and has a cyclical interplay that I find very pleasant. With ice, there’s significantly less smoke and more pronounced sweet and spicy notes, definitely my preferred way to enjoy this product, but I like it both ways.
At ~$60 MSRP, I think this product is phenomenal—likely the best mid-priced Islay scotch I’ve tried so far. It doesn’t have the nuance of some of the more expensive scotches with regard to the complexity of its elements, but the interplay is still very solid amidst the smoky/spicy/sweet, especially at the price point. Lagavulin 8 won’t take my favorite spot from the ~$80 Caol Ila 12, and I would say I enjoyed the ~$70 Laphroaig Quarter Cask a smidge more, but dollar-for-dollar this has to be one of the finest products I’ve tried. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it on the regular.
Stay tuned for a review of Lagavulin 23 Year Special Release, coming soon!