tasting notes: lagavulin 16

all right, i don't know anything about single malt scotch. all i know is "tastes good" and "tastes like shit."

and lagavulin 16 "tastes good."

up until i tasted lagavulin 16, my favorite scotch was johnnie walker blue, a blended scotch that (i believe) is made to taste refined, smooth, and inoffensive. like the scotch equivalent of silky butter.

so i was at a firm holiday party and i passed my coworker and i smelled a whiff of smoke. i stopped and realized it was emanating from his glass. "what's that?" i asked. "try it," he said.

my mouth was filled with a taste comprising of mostly liquid smoke, something sort of seaweedy, and a touch of oil. it sounds sort of gross, but it was REALLY DAMN GOOD. and although completely unsubtle, quite smooth. (strangely enough, it also makes you crave bacon.)

and the taste of smoke lingered pleasantly for a while.

i bought a bottle the next day and it set me back $70, but it's so worth it.

i am now tempted to try more single malts. each distillery has its own character and flavor. but based on my positive response to the lagavulin 16, i think i'll like the ardbeg uigeadail and the laphroaig 15.