Lagavilin 16 year Old Islay Appearence : Amber; very old Sauternes Aroma : Little nose prickle, and surprisingly low intensity of (straight) aroma. Little discernable smoke to start. Generally quite closed. Some cognac and cooking chocolate and an interesting scent of clover flowers. (dilute) Cover continues when water is added, with some plastic buckets. The smokiness manifests itself only as light Lapsang Suchong tea. Flavour : The primary taste starts sweet (nougat) and finishes darkly smoky (coal smoke). The flavour immediately gives away the whisky's provenance. Price $79.99 The Lagavulin Distillery Situated in a small bay near the south coast of Islay, Lagavulin stands near the ruins of Dunyveg Castle. It was from here that 1,000 Islaymen set sail to fight alongside Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn in 1314, and in this bay the Macdonalds maintained their power base as Lords of the Isles until they were finally driven out by the Campbells three centuries later. Lagavulin legitimately claims to be one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Distilling on the site is thought to date from as early as 1742. In the late 1700s it is believed that there were up to ten illicit stills operating in the district. But by the 1830s only two distilleries remained in the bay. In 1837 these distilleries amalgamated to form Lagavulin. At this stage the distillery was under the ownership of the Graham brothers and James Logan Mackie, uncle of Sir Peter Mackie who later became one of the 'big five' in the whisky industry. The Distillery Today By 1875 Lagavulin was producing 75,000 gallons of whisky. It was chosen by United Distillers for their Classic Malts series in 1988/89 and is now more widely available.