Which Single Scotch Malt is better and smoother from these three? Why?

Question

Lagavulin 16 y.o. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagavulin_Single_Malt ), Dalwhinnie 15 y.o. ( http://www.beerliquors.com/buy/liquors/dalwhinnie.htm ) or Balvenie Doublewood 12 y.o. ( http://www.balvenie.com/shop/double12yo.html )?

Answer 1

If your measure of quality is "smoothness" then I'd say the Dalwhinnie.
The Lagavulin is extremely pungent and intensely flavored with peat smoke.
The Balvenie Doublewood has a very intense sherry oak quality.
The Dalwhinnie, on the other hand, is a Lowland malt, known for their delicacy and graceful character. And, it is very "smooth".

Answer 2

Of those, I've only had Lagavulin. Lagavulin is very peaty. I wouldn't call it smooth, nor would I call it bad, maybe an acquired taste.

With regards to smoothness I'd recommend a Longrow.

- FYI - for Jonathan - the reason older single malts are so expensive is because there is less yield. Whiskey evaporates out of the barrels over time. The longer is sits the less of it there is to bottle.

Answer 3

I haven't tried any of the three (I'm a Glenfiddich and Glenlivet man myself) but I would suspect that the 16yo would be the tops of the three, all things being equal. Generally, the longer a scotch is aged, the better it becomes. That's why 21yo scotch is much more expensive than 12yo scotch.

Answer 4

I prefer Oban ::