On a very random occasion, I was at a bar last Sunday and we were just chatting about how bad Laga 16 has gone in the last decade or so.

Me, my friend and the bartender guy had small samples of Ardbeg 23 which I brought and to my surprise the bartender offered me a pour of White Horse Laga 16 for free(!!!) saying he really enjoyed Ardbeg that I brought.

After a quick research I found out that this version of Laga 16 was bottled in late 90's which is obviously better than what is being sold these days.

From my very drunk memory, here goes my impressions:

Nose: Nothing like current Laga 16, very sherry and sweet. Tarry rope, exotic spices like star anise. Crème brûlée, butter cookie like notes. Smoke is not very prevalent but enough to notice it's there.

Palate: Imagine you're having a seafood barbecue by the beach, having a sip of nice cigar. All the good notes and memories you can think of from that experience is too well blended in this malt. Bit salty, yet sweet (like a salted caramel) and notes of smoked ham and cheddar cheese kicks in like a hero. Super savory and umami.

Finish: Long and lingering, bit ashy and earthy at the same time.

Overall: 9.5/10

I mean....Current Laga 16 isn't a bad malt by any means, it's something you can always get for under $90 and it'll never disappoint you. Yet the flavor profile in this dram was unmatched, like the 80's Laphy I had last month.

Now I'm starting to understand why there is so much hype for 'old' peated malts, it's just that good.