Lagavulin 16 Year Old

I recently had some Lagavulin 16 at a bar, and I enjoyed so much I decided to buy a bottle despite the high price. It is a world of difference from the dram I had at the bar. The nose of the whisky I had at the bar was much more complex, with more oak and sherry, and not so much as a hint of alcohol. It was a little sweeter on the palette, with more oaky vanilla and dried fruits. The nose of this bottle is mostly just smoke, with hints of acetone, and some alcohol. On the palette it is smoke, with some vegetal peat, and faint hints of oak. The body and finish are where I really notice the difference. The dram I had at the bar had a rich oily texture that coated my mouth, and a long, smooth finish that I could even taste hints of after a dram of another whisky. This bottle has a watery consistency, and the finish seems cut short, with smoke and peat quickly and anticlimactically fading to watery alcohol. It reminds me quite a lot of Talisker 10 with a bit more smoke. At $35 cheaper I’d go for the Talisker any day. That being said, expensive whisky rarely lives up to my expectations, and it's not awful. I would rate it higher if it was a fair bit cheaper. Ardbeg 10, Talisker 10, and Laphroaig QC all offer much more bang for my buck. This is the most expensive bottle I've bought to date, and I do feel I bit like I've been had.

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