I thought I was going crazy! I bought the 8 because I'm a fan of the 16 and the 8 was a little cheaper, and I liked it way more! Everyone I talked to said the 16 was the best, but as you said the 8 year is so much cleaner and more refined (Also I think it gets point for not containing caramel-color) Thanks for the review!
Ya.. the Lagavulin 8 is one of my favorite peated whiskies. I think the $100 plus for the 16 makes it harder to enjoy. Maybe if my income doubled I would enjoy it more... if that happens I’ll get back to you! 😂
If you get a chance, try the Lagavulin 11 Year Old Offerman Edition. It is pretty great too. I agree with your sentiment. The Lag 8 is pretty great! It is hard to say I like one more than the other, but this is what I thought too when I finally tried it.
Caol Ila 12 was my first major peat whisky. Never liked peat before, but it grew on me and I have that bottle to thank for getting me into the smokies. Lagavulin is my next bottle choice once my Caol Ila is gone. Lagavulin 8, 10, 12 and 16 all sound amazing.
Just looked at my notes on this one: clean peat, lemon, sea air... so yeah, I agree 100% with your assessment. Of the three (ardbeg 10, Laphroig 10, Lag 8) I think the ardbeg's earthy/BBQ smoke stands out, while the Lag 8 and Laph 10 are very similar. The iodine/bandaid adhesive note in the Laph10 is absent in the Lag8, but otherwise, they are really similar. The ABV of the Lag8 is perfect. I love all three.
Enjoyed the review 👍 Just started on 'smoky' whiskies - 4 different Laphroaigs so far - and this will definitely going on the wish list. Can't believe that it's cheaper to buy in the States than it is here in the UK! Look forward to the blind review 🥃🥃
Lagavul...mmm.... yea, that's what I'm going with. Hey all! I'm doing a little survey on your favorite whiskies of 2020. forms.gle/LoTgVFcUNQpi99jB6 If you're interested in helping me out, fill out this form with YOUR favorite whiskies of the year. Website: www.thewhiskeydictionary.com Weekly Email Newsletter: bit.ly/WhiskeyNewsletter
Great review. After drinking scotch for 30 years, this was the first Islay I ever purchased. I was not used to the smoky and somewhat Band-Aid smell right off the bat, but it significantly lessened as I aired it out. It lessened even more with a tiny ice cube and lessened even more as I had experienced it further and further. I purchased it before the holidays for 42.99 and went through a third of the bottle. I believe that your review is very spot-on. But I also get a great salty taste. I have heard that this goes for 60 to $70. I picked it up for 42 and am so glad that I did. If you are not used to Islay whiskeys I would definitely recommend it. And this is coming from someone who did not have much experience with those type of whiskeys prior to purchasing it. For around the $50 price range I would definitely purchase it again
Here it's 55 euro for lagavulin 8. Around 75 for for the 16. But like Ardbeg 10 is only like 47 and the 5 is only 42, while Laphroaig 10 is between 37-40 euros. Port charlotte 10years a 1L bottle is only 77euros too. Actually Islay whisky's in total are very reasonable here in Belgium. I'm happy I ordered a 1L bottle off Port Charlotte 10y. And a bottle off Laphroaig (cas strength!) for around 110euro. Sadly bottles here are 70cl in stead off 75cl. That's why I'm very happy that I tracked down the Port charlotte 10y in a 1L bottle, that has a discount now. I have still a new Laguvulin 8 bottle and an almost empty one. And also the Ardbeg 5 little over half a bottle I have left, and the 10 is finished need to restock.. I'm thinking off getting a lagavulin 12 again too because I love the 12 years the most off the Lagavulin. (And yes the 12years old is more expensive than the 16 years old)
Damn this is usually $15+ more for me. But I tried it and definitely liked it a lot, my friend saved me a good pour from his bottle. I got a sweetness from it like powdered sugar on citrus.
Lagavulin 8 has been my favorite Lagavulin... but it could be because I can get it for less than $100. I bought a bottle of the GOT 9 year a few weeks ago that I plan to review soon... but I’m waiting till I feel I have spent more time with it... I’m confused about it... Cheers everyone!
Do yourself a favor and get a bottle of Port Charlotte 10 and throw that into the mix. I've done a side by side with Ardbeg 10 and Port Charlotte and it was not close (for me). I even felt the Port Charlotte held it's own against Lagavulin 16. I am looking forward to your blind tasting and seeing how that turns out.
Awhile back, I had in my cabinet Lagavulin 16, 12 (not sure which year), 9 (GoT), and 8. I tried them back to back with a friend. My order was 12, 16, 9, and 8. The 8 didn't have quite the balance of the others, but I still liked it. The 16 is perhaps my all-time favorite easy-to-stock whisky. The 12 was fantastic.
@utoobia I've not seen it, so don't know the price. The 12 I had was a few years ago. I did recently pick up a couple bottles of the Offerman Edition 11, which, all of a sudden, was in stock at a local store.
Emotions and tastes are strange. I bought a bottle of Old Overholt BIB and was all set to fully enjoy the flavors and aroma and - found it disappointing. The next time I tried it, expecting the same disappointment, I really enjoyed it. Another example: I tasted Glenlivet 12 and found it also to be a letdown, after reading how good it was. The next time I tried it, I found it to be delicious! I put Lagavulin 8 on my shopping list.
I need to go back the the Laphroaig QC... it was the last bottle of Laphroaig I bought and I was not too happy... but this was 3 years ago... Maybe it was an off bottle or I was the one who was off... Or.. maybe my taste buds are different than yours... lol. Not possible!!! Ha Cheers Karl!
The game of thrones Laga was delicious. The 16 yr fell on my lap a few weeks ago. But I want to get this one too because before opening the 16. It only makes sense that way lol. Cheers Bill 🥃
The first time that in less than a week I drank a full bottle off 70cl Lagavulin. Damn, okay it's the 8 not the 16 or 12. But still I damn like it! Even more than the 16. I like the 12 the most. I need another bottle off the 8 today. Also omg your review is exactly how I taste the 8! Talking about young islay scotch. Do you like the ardbeg 5?
We did a south Islay tasting in our whisky crew two weeks back. It was other bottlings but still Laphroiag, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. It was very interesting but they were less similar and easier to tell apart than I had expected before hand. Anyway, I think you'll enjoy the experiment :)
I can get Lagavulin 10 and 12 from duty-free, yet they are both more expensive than 16. 12 is twice the price. Gonna see if they really worth it. 16 is in my top favorite list.
What’s the best way to enjoy whiskies that aren’t bourbon. I love high end bourbon. Especially single barrel. When I try scotch, Irish whisky or anything other than a high end bourbon or Rye, all I want to do is spit it out. None of it taste good to me. ?????
I haven't had a Lagavulin for a long time, but I remember loving it. I recently I bought Matsui the Peated, and it was like someone had burned plastic in my glass. I'm hoping that this is just the Matsui and not me disliking peat.
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary I bought both that and the Mizunara cask after it got double gold at San Fransisco and from Jim Murray. The Mizunara is raw but drinkable, but the Peated is toilet water. Also I bought the Blanton's Red, but I decided to give it to my Dad who apparently is mad for Blanton's.
I've not yet tried Lagavulin 8 or 16 but I had the 10 year old not too long ago and thought it was very good. Although I still preferred the Taliskers and Laphroaigs of the same age, due to more complexity and richness (Talisker 10 has a salty and briny character and I find that Laphroaig is more smoky and peaty than Lagavulin, but that's just my taste). And speaking of which, when are you going to review Talisker 10 on the channel?
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary might go for the 10 now I just found it for £40 also main reason getting one of these 2 is to pair it with some aged cheese that I just picked up would you recommend the 10 for this or something else? Also this is gonna be my first islay in my collection
Lagavulin 8 was 35€ on sale when i picked it up. It is good but not my favourite islay. I like the idea of the blind tasting but i think you should change the laphroaig 10 with the laphroaig quarter cask just because of the proof. :)
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary it’s funny, Lagavulin 8 was my first stop on my whiskey journey, which is nearly a year old now. Ended up going with Ardbeg 10 as my “stock it” grade Islay scotch, partially due to the fact it was nearly $10 cheaper at the time. The price difference has since been flipped, and I decided to grab a bottle of the 8 to see how it compared. I genuinely think I prefer the Lagavulin, though they are both very good. I’ll definitely be buying more of it going forward.
Havent tried Lagavulin 8 (yet). 16 I have tried. Ardbeg 10 is one of my all time favourites. I was very dissapointed about Laphroaig 10 because of the 40% abv. It tasted too mild...watery even. So what do I do? I bought Laphroaig 10 cask strenght 011 and that was MUCH better than 40% basic 10. Still my order of those 3 is Ardbeg 10, Lagavulin (16) and Laphroaig 10 (CS) 😊
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary We do not have those kind on luxuries here in Finland because goverment is doing our alcohol selling. So I ordered mine Laphroaig 10 CS from Scotland. Problem solved 🤣
$45??? Holy cow. $72 here in southeast louisiana is the cheapest I can find it. $45? Our demand does seem to be a bit higher here than most parts of the country, but I'll add that just above hurricanes as a reason to move. Forty-five dollars. It's not like our cost of living is high here, just cost of drinking, apparently. Forty.five.dollars. That hurts.
I have just had my first peated whiskey talisker 10 years while its complex i just can't get over that peat taste its not a good taste give me back my irish whiskey not a peat lover here!!!!
I thought I was going crazy! I bought the 8 because I'm a fan of the 16 and the 8 was a little cheaper, and I liked it way more! Everyone I talked to said the 16 was the best, but as you said the 8 year is so much cleaner and more refined (Also I think it gets point for not containing caramel-color) Thanks for the review!
Ya.. the Lagavulin 8 is one of my favorite peated whiskies. I think the $100 plus for the 16 makes it harder to enjoy.
Maybe if my income doubled I would enjoy it more... if that happens I’ll get back to you! 😂
If you get a chance, try the Lagavulin 11 Year Old Offerman Edition. It is pretty great too. I agree with your sentiment. The Lag 8 is pretty great! It is hard to say I like one more than the other, but this is what I thought too when I finally tried it.
@@21drakken, I have wanted to try the offerman edition.
Have you seen the Offerman Distillery Video on UA-cam? It’s quite funny... and on point.
You’ve just described what Ardbeg Uigeadial does for me.
Me too!
Caol Ila 12 was my first major peat whisky. Never liked peat before, but it grew on me and I have that bottle to thank for getting me into the smokies. Lagavulin is my next bottle choice once my Caol Ila is gone. Lagavulin 8, 10, 12 and 16 all sound amazing.
Just looked at my notes on this one: clean peat, lemon, sea air... so yeah, I agree 100% with your assessment. Of the three (ardbeg 10, Laphroig 10, Lag 8) I think the ardbeg's earthy/BBQ smoke stands out, while the Lag 8 and Laph 10 are very similar. The iodine/bandaid adhesive note in the Laph10 is absent in the Lag8, but otherwise, they are really similar. The ABV of the Lag8 is perfect. I love all three.
Yea, im really excited to film this one!
$45 is crazy cheap for this. Cost $67 in my area. My favorite 10 and under entry level heavily peated is Ledaig 10.
Ledaig 10 is so good for the price! I also love some of the sherry and port versions at Ballechin!!!
Cheers Steven O!
Enjoyed the review 👍 Just started on 'smoky' whiskies - 4 different Laphroaigs so far - and this will definitely going on the wish list. Can't believe that it's cheaper to buy in the States than it is here in the UK! Look forward to the blind review 🥃🥃
Agree I like all lagavulin s. I normally get laphroig 10 due to price.
Ya.. I enjoy the 16 Lagavulin... but I don’t want to pay $100 plus for it...
I would buy a laphroaig first too.
Cheers Dan!
Don't forget about the Distiller's Edition...
So good. Love that chocolate and mint finish.
Lagavul...mmm.... yea, that's what I'm going with.
Hey all! I'm doing a little survey on your favorite whiskies of 2020. forms.gle/LoTgVFcUNQpi99jB6
If you're interested in helping me out, fill out this form with YOUR favorite whiskies of the year.
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Weekly Email Newsletter: bit.ly/WhiskeyNewsletter
Haha could not agree more! 9 is my personal fave.
And the Game Of Thrones special ed 🥃💕
I can't wait for the blind Islay tasting. I wish I could find the Laga 8 around here. Great video, Bill.
Thanks Sean!
Great review. After drinking scotch for 30 years, this was the first Islay I ever purchased. I was not used to the smoky and somewhat Band-Aid smell right off the bat, but it significantly lessened as I aired it out. It lessened even more with a tiny ice cube and lessened even more as I had experienced it further and further. I purchased it before the holidays for 42.99 and went through a third of the bottle. I believe that your review is very spot-on. But I also get a great salty taste. I have heard that this goes for 60 to $70. I picked it up for 42 and am so glad that I did. If you are not used to Islay whiskeys I would definitely recommend it. And this is coming from someone who did not have much experience with those type of whiskeys prior to purchasing it. For around the $50 price range I would definitely purchase it again
Here it's 55 euro for lagavulin 8. Around 75 for for the 16. But like Ardbeg 10 is only like 47 and the 5 is only 42, while Laphroaig 10 is between 37-40 euros. Port charlotte 10years a 1L bottle is only 77euros too. Actually Islay whisky's in total are very reasonable here in Belgium. I'm happy I ordered a 1L bottle off Port Charlotte 10y. And a bottle off Laphroaig (cas strength!) for around 110euro. Sadly bottles here are 70cl in stead off 75cl. That's why I'm very happy that I tracked down the Port charlotte 10y in a 1L bottle, that has a discount now. I have still a new Laguvulin 8 bottle and an almost empty one. And also the Ardbeg 5 little over half a bottle I have left, and the 10 is finished need to restock.. I'm thinking off getting a lagavulin 12 again too because I love the 12 years the most off the Lagavulin. (And yes the 12years old is more expensive than the 16 years old)
I love lagavulin man, pretty much all whiskies from islay... personal fav is still ardbeg 10. Cool video as usual!
Thanks! The Ardbeg 10 is a personal favorite as well
Lagavulin has the best mouth feel and the longer you hold it on the palate the better it gets. perfectly oiled and so tasty!
Damn this is usually $15+ more for me. But I tried it and definitely liked it a lot, my friend saved me a good pour from his bottle. I got a sweetness from it like powdered sugar on citrus.
Lagavulin 8 has been my favorite Lagavulin... but it could be because I can get it for less than $100.
I bought a bottle of the GOT 9 year a few weeks ago that I plan to review soon... but I’m waiting till I feel I have spent more time with it... I’m confused about it...
Cheers everyone!
Do yourself a favor and get a bottle of Port Charlotte 10 and throw that into the mix. I've done a side by side with Ardbeg 10 and Port Charlotte and it was not close (for me). I even felt the Port Charlotte held it's own against Lagavulin 16. I am looking forward to your blind tasting and seeing how that turns out.
I actually like the Port Charlotte 10 over Laga 16. Head to head the Laga is thin and watery in comparison.
Out of the 3 I’d pick Ardbeg 10. It has the best balance and complexity and a decent ABV.
Awhile back, I had in my cabinet Lagavulin 16, 12 (not sure which year), 9 (GoT), and 8. I tried them back to back with a friend. My order was 12, 16, 9, and 8. The 8 didn't have quite the balance of the others, but I still liked it. The 16 is perhaps my all-time favorite easy-to-stock whisky. The 12 was fantastic.
Yes the 12 is the best imo too👍
The 2021 cask strength 12….holy carp, is that beautiful. The price though….
@utoobia I've not seen it, so don't know the price. The 12 I had was a few years ago. I did recently pick up a couple bottles of the Offerman Edition 11, which, all of a sudden, was in stock at a local store.
@@vwhite3055 It’s $170 in Virginia. Just too much. I’d happily pay $130. Really like the two Offermans I’ve tried….Guinness and Charred Oak.
Emotions and tastes are strange. I bought a bottle of Old Overholt BIB and was all set to fully enjoy the flavors and aroma and - found it disappointing. The next time I tried it, expecting the same disappointment, I really enjoyed it. Another example: I tasted Glenlivet 12 and found it also to be a letdown, after reading how good it was. The next time I tried it, I found it to be delicious!
I put Lagavulin 8 on my shopping list.
Black licorice, black berries.
Smoke, salt and pepper
Lemon, sea salt, grass
Oh yeahhhh....laphroaig vs ardbeg vs laga...
Great review Bill-Thanks for that🥃
Thanks for always watching :) I know ill always see a comment from you!
All great choices!
Wonderful review... thanks 🙏
I love the Lag8. For me it is a toss up between Laphroaig QC and Lag8 for my #1 favorite Scotch.
I need to go back the the Laphroaig QC... it was the last bottle of Laphroaig I bought and I was not too happy... but this was 3 years ago...
Maybe it was an off bottle or I was the one who was off...
Or.. maybe my taste buds are different than yours... lol.
Not possible!!! Ha
Cheers Karl!
Great review I’ve had the lagavulin 16 , can’t wait to see it in New Hampshire
The eight that is
Its in MA. If you want to drive down here its pretty readily available
The game of thrones Laga was delicious. The 16 yr fell on my lap a few weeks ago. But I want to get this one too because before opening the 16. It only makes sense that way lol. Cheers Bill 🥃
I think thats wise! The 16 is so legendary I want to build up to it
The first time that in less than a week I drank a full bottle off 70cl Lagavulin. Damn, okay it's the 8 not the 16 or 12. But still I damn like it! Even more than the 16. I like the 12 the most. I need another bottle off the 8 today.
Also omg your review is exactly how I taste the 8! Talking about young islay scotch. Do you like the ardbeg 5?
I do actually! I was surprised how much I liked the Wee Beastie
Still want to get a bottle of this. Thanks for the review!
You should
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Hopefully one day we can share a whisky together!
Sounds great!
Another great review 👏
Another Lagavulin coming out tomorrow!
We did a south Islay tasting in our whisky crew two weeks back. It was other bottlings but still Laphroiag, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. It was very interesting but they were less similar and easier to tell apart than I had expected before hand. Anyway, I think you'll enjoy the experiment :)
I think I will too!
You just earned my sub!
Thanks!
Could you please review my favourite whisky, Lagavulin 16??? thank you and well done!!
I can get Lagavulin 10 and 12 from duty-free, yet they are both more expensive than 16. 12 is twice the price. Gonna see if they really worth it. 16 is in my top favorite list.
I have tried JW doble black and I enjoyed that alto so which one should I get now? Laphroaig, lagavulin or árabe.
Would love to see you try other expressions from Lagavulin, the 12 year, distillers edition and the Offerman edition.
I'll get there for sure. Love this brand already
What’s the best way to enjoy whiskies that aren’t bourbon. I love high end bourbon. Especially single barrel. When I try scotch, Irish whisky or anything other than a high end bourbon or Rye, all I want to do is spit it out. None of it taste good to me. ?????
What have you tried for Scotch?
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Connemara Peated, Dewars, Ardbeg and McClellan to name a few. 😀
I haven't had a Lagavulin for a long time, but I remember loving it. I recently I bought Matsui the Peated, and it was like someone had burned plastic in my glass. I'm hoping that this is just the Matsui and not me disliking peat.
Matsui is bogus
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary I bought both that and the Mizunara cask after it got double gold at San Fransisco and from Jim Murray. The Mizunara is raw but drinkable, but the Peated is toilet water.
Also I bought the Blanton's Red, but I decided to give it to my Dad who apparently is mad for Blanton's.
You're a good kid
I've not yet tried Lagavulin 8 or 16 but I had the 10 year old not too long ago and thought it was very good. Although I still preferred the Taliskers and Laphroaigs of the same age, due to more complexity and richness (Talisker 10 has a salty and briny character and I find that Laphroaig is more smoky and peaty than Lagavulin, but that's just my taste).
And speaking of which, when are you going to review Talisker 10 on the channel?
So much whisky, so little time!
I will absolutely plan to do it in the next few months
Trying to decide between this and the ardbeg 10
It's a bit of a cop out, but I'd do both! If you need to pick one, get the 8. I think youll be surprised!
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary might go for the 10 now I just found it for £40 also main reason getting one of these 2 is to pair it with some aged cheese that I just picked up would you recommend the 10 for this or something else? Also this is gonna be my first islay in my collection
Lagavulin 8 was 35€ on sale when i picked it up. It is good but not my favourite islay. I like the idea of the blind tasting but i think you should change the laphroaig 10 with the laphroaig quarter cask just because of the proof. :)
That makes sense... I dont have a QC on hand sadly
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary You know it is worth to pick it up! I´m looking forward to the blind tasting.
Lag 8 over Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10.
Also Lag 8 over 16. I like the higher abv
Man, you and I are on a similar drinking schedule. I grabbed a bottle of Lagavulin 8 a couple weeks ago and it is nearly gone.
Nice! Obviously you're enjoying it. What do you think?
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary it’s funny, Lagavulin 8 was my first stop on my whiskey journey, which is nearly a year old now. Ended up going with Ardbeg 10 as my “stock it” grade Islay scotch, partially due to the fact it was nearly $10 cheaper at the time. The price difference has since been flipped, and I decided to grab a bottle of the 8 to see how it compared. I genuinely think I prefer the Lagavulin, though they are both very good. I’ll definitely be buying more of it going forward.
Havent tried Lagavulin 8 (yet). 16 I have tried. Ardbeg 10 is one of my all time favourites. I was very dissapointed about Laphroaig 10 because of the 40% abv. It tasted too mild...watery even. So what do I do? I bought Laphroaig 10 cask strenght 011 and that was MUCH better than 40% basic 10. Still my order of those 3 is Ardbeg 10, Lagavulin (16) and Laphroaig 10 (CS) 😊
The Laphroaig 10 CS is really good. I was lucky enough to get to try a bottle that Erik Wait gave me.
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary We do not have those kind on luxuries here in Finland because goverment is doing our alcohol selling. So I ordered mine Laphroaig 10 CS from Scotland. Problem solved 🤣
Try the Laphroaig Quarter Cask. @48% it beats the 10 for richness hands down.
I'm also a big fan of the QC
@@UsedBrain4U Laphroaig QC was the first Laphroaig ive tried. Thats why I was so dissapointed in 10...because of 48% vs. 40%abv...
new clean salty leather
I believe the Lagavulin 16 uses sherry barrels whereas the 8 is aged in strictly bourbon barrels.
That is correct
This one is very closed to start with. Put it way for a month or so, and it will really open up.
$45??? Holy cow. $72 here in southeast louisiana is the cheapest I can find it. $45? Our demand does seem to be a bit higher here than most parts of the country, but I'll add that just above hurricanes as a reason to move. Forty-five dollars. It's not like our cost of living is high here, just cost of drinking, apparently. Forty.five.dollars. That hurts.
Well, you probably get all sorts of bourbons that I cant
I have just had my first peated whiskey talisker 10 years while its complex i just can't get over that peat taste its not a good taste give me back my irish whiskey not a peat lover here!!!!
Add some water. Itll cut it a lot
Talisker 10 is rough as a first peated Scotch. Try something moderately peated like Highland Park 12
@@steveno7058 Talisker 10 was my first peated whiskey,and I loved it.To be honest,I can't find any peatness in Highland Park 12.