N: Peat, Potting soil, Mint, Oreos, Pears. I like it.

P: Butter Cake. Dry & Astringent, a bit Paint chippy..

F: Light Peat, Smoke, & some Candy Cane. Not enough going on. This is quite dry and fades very quick. Too one dimensional. Not close to the 16.

Tasted this in a flight with Lag 12 2015 and Lag 16 and even added a Laphroaig 10 for good measure.  

First of all, the color is the pretty typical light gold you'd see in a young whisky. So there's that. Big surprise. 

N: I found this very buttery, which I love. Love love that buttery note. What is that? It's one of the reasons I tend to adore young Scotch. Of course you get a little peat as well. There is also a bit of sweetness that comes through. All in all, it's pretty light and subtle. 

P: Lots of peat here. A bit harsh. (Water helps, but makes it that much more one-dimensional.) This is not the nicely balanced Lag 12/16 you'd expect. Buuuuuut, I can't help but be struck by how this tastes like a nice youthful Lag. It retains so much of the character, it's kind of mindblowing that it's half the age of the 16 year. 

F: Can't say much here. Falls off quickly and leaves a little burn (no election reference intended). Some earthy afternotes, I suppose. 

I am impressed by how much this 8 year old whisky retains the character (a bit of elegance?) of it's older sibling, the Lag 16. It's one dimensionality and finish really pull it down though. 

B/B- 

This tastes exactly how you think it will taste, like a younger Lagavulin, and it's pretty good, because it's Lagavulin.