Review #224 - Lagavulin 11 Year Offerman Edition - Charred Oak Cask
His love of the Lagavulin brand is well known - Nick Offerman's association with this Islay south coast distillery began with the television show 'Parks and Recreation,' although he had been enjoying this heavily peated whisky for some time before that. The bond between Offerman, the show, and Lagavulin whisky became strong enough that Nick's character actually visited the distillery in a storyline in the show at one point.
Lagavulin's official collaboration with Nick Offerman then began with a 2019 bottling of 11 year old Lagavulin - no exotic cask finishes, just a pure 11 year old Lagavulin. This was followed up in 2021 with a second edition, also aged for 11 years, but this time, it was finished in Guinness beer casks.
This bottle is the third edition of this Offerman series, and the focus this time is heavily charred casks - two types, to be specific. It's charred ex-bourbon and ex-red wine casks; apparently, this cask regimen was chosen in order to best accompany 'any medium-rare steak.' And, instead of a finish, this was a full-term maturation.
No matter what the goal for the flavor profile was, we're excited - Lagavulin spirit is some of our favorite distillate. We get this single malt at the preferential bottling strength of 46% ABV, so flavor should be in no short supply.
Lagavulin 11 Year Offerman Edition - Charred Oak Cask
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 82 (2022)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 82 (2024)
Age Statement: 11 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Heavily-charred ex-bourbon and ex-red wine casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 3 months; bottles at 90%, 80% (blind tasting), 70% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Dark, sweet, and coastal - quite briny, with some wood smoke, musty peat smoke, and a bit of earthy wood char. Fruits across the spectrum: banana, pineapple, orange, strawberry, and prune all showed up. Seaweed and moss appear later; grapefruit, balsamic, and peppery barbecue could also be found at times. A wide ranging nose, which presented differently each time.
Palate: Medium mouthfeel, and medium to strong peat smoke, accented by dark oak and a hint of cigar smoke. Sweetness comes from brown sugar, lime sherbet, and hints of tropical melon, while wood smoke and charred oranges add more bitterness. Charcoal and savory notes were more subtle, but present.
Finish: Medium-long, with a lot of woody notes and decent smoke lingering. Wood smoke, grass, slightly acrid oak; there are hints of vanilla, creme brulee, and gummy candies in the aftertaste. Soft hints of dusty malt at times, too.
Final Note: A very interesting whisky - quite a range of flavors to explore, but each time we tasted it, it felt well put together and somewhat cohesive. Really, it just changed a bit from week to week with more air time in the bottle. Decent balance, and while the peat smoke has good strength, it's never overwhelming.
A good Lagavulin, then, and while the price is higher than what you would pay for a lot of single malts in the 10 to 12 year age range, this is still a decent value because of the flavor it delivers.
Our Average Rating: 7.4 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.79
Check out our other Lagavulin reviews:
Review #204 - Lagavulin Distiller's Edition
