Laphroaig vs Lavaulign

[Basil]

Howdy everyone.

I'm looking to bring a bottle to a friend. I know he enjoys peated/smokey whiskeys an was wondering which would be better to give him. I know he doesn't have either of these bottles at the moment. I was leaning towards to quarter cask because of the lower price, but is the Lavaulign really that much better?

Any comments will be welcome thanks guys.

 

[k2clones29]

Lagavulin is as smokey and as peated as they come, IMO. I like both, but Lagavulin is significantly higher in my preferences. I think value is more relative though, and he would probably appreciate either one. That said, Laphroaig is an excellent gift.

 

[Legion]

Lagavulin is very nice, but I have never found it to be so much better as to justify the extra expense.

Try Ardbeg.

 

[Eeyore]

I personally prefer the "roughness" of Laphroaig.

 

[Legion]

I'm drinking a glass of Big Peat right now. That one is also worth investigating.

 

[Kazeryu]

I think the Lagavulin is much better. YMMV.

 

[Masterkova]

I much prefer Laphraoig. It has a stronger voice.

 

[acesn8s]

I prefer the Lagavulin. I think it is the better balanced of the two spirits. Nice and heavy peat, some salt, and the sherry sweetness. The Laphroig 10 and 1/4 cask are nice also. I find Laphroig has more of a medicinal/iodine task and lacks the sweetness that I like in the Lagavulin (although the 1/4 cask come closer).

I'd like to try the Laphroig 18 to see how it stacks up against the Lagavulin 16.

 

[LuckyR]

I prefer the Lagavulin. I think it is the better balanced of the two spirits. Nice and heavy peat, some salt, and the sherry sweetness. The Laphroig 10 and 1/4 cask are nice also. I find Laphroig has more of a medicinal/iodine task and lacks the sweetness that I like in the Lagavulin (although the 1/4 cask come closer).

I'd like to try the Laphroig 18 to see how it stacks up against the Lagavulin 16.

I totally agree with the first paragraph. The Laphroig is much heavier on the peat, but not much else. The Lagavulin is moderately heavy on the peat but has so much else going on, multidimensional.

I would apply the same analysis to the Laphroig 18 (though a touch less than the 10)

So to answer the OP's question, yes it is worth the $.

 

[Doc4]

Either would make a great gift. Your friend, being a peat fan, will sooner or later have a bottle of each in his selection. Which one he ultimately prefers is a personal preference thing for him, and our opinions are not going to help much.

Buy the bottle that best fits your price range for the gift.

 

[Legion]

Either would make a great gift. Your friend, being a peat fan, will sooner or later have a bottle of each in his selection. Which one he ultimately prefers is a personal preference thing for him, and our opinions are not going to help much.

Buy the bottle that best fits your price range for the gift.

+1
I would be happy with either.

 

[shavious]

+1
I would be happy with either.

This. I finally got to try Laphroaig last night. While I do like the Lagavulin 16 quite a bit more, I did very much enjoy the Laphroaig. At the end of the day, they're both excellent scotches

 

[djh]

Toss a coin. They both make great whisky, but personal tastes vary.

 

[vertelselaar]

They are different to me: Lagavulin more polished and refined but Laphroaig more raw and deep sensations of square-cut peat. It depends on my mood which one I'll drink at a given time. I think they are both great gifts. Perhaps the gentler approach to peat by Lagavulin has my vote as your friend has had little experience with peaty whisky.

 

[professorchaos]

I'd be thrilled to receive either as a gift. That said, when I want a lovely, smokey, medicinal glass of Scotch, I'll almost always choose Laphroaig over Lagavulin.

 

[bennyJ82]

Both are good, but I prefer Laphroaig.

 

[parsifal54]

Laphraoig here

 

[csd3]

Laphroig has a tad more peat smoke. Lagavulin is better smoother and more refinded. I'm loving Talisker most these days- love the Islays in general.

 

[galopede]

My suggestion is that you buy both, choose one to send to your friend then send the other to me. They are both great whiskies and I'd be pleased to receive either as a gift!

I do like all of the Islay whiskies though. Last one I had was a Bruichladdich, before that it was a Bunnahabhain. You won;t go wrong with any Islay I reckon

Gareth

 

[cybrok]

Quarter Cask is a great bang for the buck. They could sell it for way more and people would still buy it. I just got the smoother Three Woods.

Honestly, with either you can't go wrong.