So I’ve got my eye on an 18 year old Caol Ila, but I’ve also got my eye on a 16 year old Lagavulin. At $80 & $90 respectively, there’s not enough room in my wallet for the both of em. I’ve tried & enjoyed each before, but not to the point of buying a bottle. I’ll probably end up flipping a coin, but I’m interested in knowing which way you folks lean.
Not that you asked, but I’d buy 2 bottles of 10 year old Laphroiag instead.
Or 4 bottles of “Joe, Mark & Robbo”.
I WAS a big fan of the 16-yr old lagavullin. . .like 2 years ago when it cost $48 for 750ml. So, I’d lean that way, but I can’t get my head around Scotch prices these days.
I’ve only ever tried the 12 year-old Caol Ila, and I wasn’t terribly impressed with it. The 18 year-old is only $60 a bottle around here, so I will try it someday, but for now I’d definitely pick the Lagavulin.
Where are you located? I paid rather less than that for Lagavulin 16, though granted it was around half a year ago. With the dollar-to-pound ration, I may be out of date.
I don’t know the Caol Ila; I’m not sure it’s distributed widely here. I do know that Jackson rates it 9 points lower than the Lagavulin, but he’s crazy for smoke in his Scotches.
I love Lagavulin, but only in some moods and circumstances. I might go with the Caol Ila just for a little more flexibility.
Truth be told, I’m a little scared of Laphroaig. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, and I’d hate to drop $50 on a bottle only to find I don’t like it. But, my first impressions aren’t always accurate. For example, I bought a 12 year old Caol Ila on a whim before, and the first 3 drinks were fantastic. But after the first 3, it tasted like grain alcohol with a tinge of liquid smoke. I don’t know what changed, but I don’t plan on picking up another one.
I’ve tried the 18 year old Caol Ila and Lagavulin once each. Both were in restaraunts after a good steak, and I liked them both. I’m a little concerned that they’ll turn out like the 12 year old Caol Ila - good at first, but not so good after the first few.
Buying booze shouldn’t require this much thought 
For my money, Lagavulin is superior to Laphroaig.
Sure, but you spend a lot less of that money on the 10 year-old Laphroaig.
Lagavulin is peatier than Laphroaig, which is more peaty than Talisker, to my tastebuds - so the question is how macho-Islay are you trying to get?
I have only had cask-strength Caol Ila, so can’t comment on the normally-bottled stuff.
I enjoy them all, but tend to keep one Islay around for just a bit of sipping - and lately that has been Lagavulin.
But then again, I am a Macallan 18-year guy - completely different category, but to my tastebuds, the best ever. I was taught to drink single-malt on it and Glenmorangie when I lived in Scotland, well before there was anything in the U.S. besides 'livet and 'fiddich…
Hijack here-but are the high-quality blended whikey’s just as good as single-malts? I’m talking about blends like Johnny walker BLUE LABEL (30 years old), or Ballentine’s 50-Yesr Old-aren’t these blends of 100% malt whiskey’s?
Yes, they are good. But quite pricey. I bought a bottle of Blue Label as a gift for a friend a few weeks ago - would you believe about $250 Cdn (= $225 US)!
Back to the OP:
I know you were asking about Lagavulin and Caol, but maybe you’d like to consider something a bit different from those (but retaining some of their peatiness. Specifically, do you know Oban? It’s about $80 a bottle, so it’s right in the range you’re looking. The link describes its character in some detail, and you may wish to compare it with Lagavulin at the same site. I think you’ll see there’s a fair bit in common, but enough of a difference to make it a bit of an adventure. I can almost guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.
Oban is a wonderful, buttery Scotch, but I assumed the OP was looking for an Islay…if you’re not, **KarlGauss **offers a great suggestion.
No, blends are cut with grain whiskies. Johnnie Walker Blue is good (and pretty much the only good blend as far as I’m concerned), but for the price, you can get a nice selection of single malts.
I don’t know that I’d call it ‘macho-Islay’. My “default” is Highland Park. IMHO, it sits comfortably between the light & airy Highlands / Speysides and the peaty & smoky Islays. I have a Balvenie Double-Wood on the shelf right now, so I’m definitely looking for something on the peaty side.
I finished an Oban over last summer, so I guess I’m doing the adventure in reverse
Hey - it’s all good, and it sounds like a fun adventure! I was just being cute about how some folks are all about the peat - just like some Cab drinkers are all about the “fruit forward” or some Harley owners have to have “that” sound…whatever’s good and is fun, that’s okay by me.
Damn! Lagavulin is up to $90 bucks some places? I was pissed when it got popular and wasn’t $40 any more. Fortunately I can still get it for $60.
I’d get two bottles of Laphroaig as well…then again, Lagavulin 16 is $96.00 (!!!) a bottle before tax at my local liquor merchant, and I have yet to see a bottle of Caol Ila around here so I haven’t been able to try it. 
I need to track down some Oban and Talisker.
Highland Park 18 is my default single-malt as well. But, unlike you, I generally loathe the peat monsters. The only Islay I will touch is the Bowmore 17, which for some reason at that age is quite palatable to me. I love Talisker too. Just something about the uber-macho “Look how much peat and salt and seaweed we can pack into a bottle” bottlings that turns me off.
Oh, well. If you love the stuff, more power to you. Just means less competition for the Speysides for me!
If you like a whiskey that is characterized as “like Ardbeg as 10 years ago,” try McCarthy’s Single Malt Whisky from Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon. It’s made with Scotch barley.