Tasting side by side with the 8 year Lagavulin. Nose is very similar. Don't think I could tell them apart. Taste is full and oily, peaty of course, with that gunpowder dryness at the end. Less aggressive than the 8, smoother, less burn. Oh...the 8 is 5% stronger abv. The 8 doesn't have that dryness to it. The lingering tastes of the 16 are deeper and more interesting. The 8 year is kinda BAM then gone. The peat is more forceful on the 8, but not much. I guess I expected (hoped?) to detect more differentiation here, but my palate doesn't find much difference. I think I grew up on the Speysiders so long that big whisky like this overpowers my senses. Bourbon does that to as well - too damn strong and it all runs together. to be fair, aint nothing delicate on me, even the palate. I'm a bit of a blunt instrument so this shouldn't surprise me. Both are good and I am happy to have an unopened bottle of 16 in reserve, but I think I'll buy the 8 from now on (if I can find it!)