Lagavulin 16 Years Old from White Horse Distillers

Back in 2008, I tasted my first Islay single-malt whisky. It was a Lagavulin 16 years old bottled by Port Ellen distillers (post-2000). Here today is a cold and grey Christmas morning, I poured the dram from a White Horse 1 litre bottle version, which is one of the earliest batches.

Colour: Amber gold
Aroma: Cured ham. Smoked bacon. Peat smoke. Some honey sweetness. I detected iodine too. The smell on the ground you get when a tropical rain is approaching. Intoxicating nose. I think it is more sophisticated (I won't say complex) than the dram I had 5 years ago. Less peat attack than the ‘Port Ellen’ version.
Taste: Immediately I get the peat and bacon coating my tongue. Carbon from charred wood. Dark chocolate but not-too-high cacao content. Some bitterness. Some white peppers but less spicier if I compare it to the 12 years old special releases. Less sweetness than the ‘Port Ellen’ version. Not so salty like how I remembered with the one bottled by Port Ellen distillers. This one has more balance and elegance, like a very good lapsang souchong tea! I think it is perfect with prosciutto! Everyone who enjoys a dram should try Lagavulin 16 years old at least once in their lifetime. Rating: 92/100