Whiskyfart
Lagavulin 16 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
July 24, 2022 (edited November 16, 2022)
Is Peated Whiskey an acquired taste? When a friend bought me a neat pour of Lagavulin 16 year in a Glencairn and I had that first taste, I suddenly realized that my perception of Peated Whiskey is pretty off.
Take my review with a grain of salt: I'm a Bourbon and Oak Cask type of guy. ( Read: NOT into heavy peat ).
That said, Christ almighty all I can taste and smell is smoke with this whiskey. But not acrid, burning smoke. More like a type of umami, savory smoke. Perhaps akin to a smoking a chuck roast, low and slow. But for those uninitiated, that heavy hit of peat is jarring and can be unpleasant. The finish it leaves is oily and smokey with a bit of spice.
Judging from the reviews, this is probably a pretty prime example of a Peated whiskey. With that in mind, I think I will steer right the hell back into my own lane and stick to Bourbon and Oak Casks.
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Good review - yes Lagavulin does have an umami quality, and the sherry finish softens and adds depth to the palate. IMHO peated whisky is not an acquired taste - you either fall head over heels in love with it right from the start or are immediately repelled and never develop the taste. I've known plenty of people who never really took to scotch until they met their first peated dram, and just as many who love sherried or malty bourbon-cask scotch and hold peated whisky in disdain. Horses for courses :-)