Review by: dustbunna
I’m not going to go through all the details of Nick Offerman’s collaboration with Lagavulin through, and beyond, his Parks and Rec character Ron Swanson, but suffice it to say this is a celebrity-sponsored whisky that certainly got some traction beyond fans of the show when it was announced. The ‘Offerman Edition’ was more recently re-released with a Guinness stout cask finish, but this first release was matured in a mix of first-fill and recharred refill bourbon casks (the same cask makeup, incidentally, that I have inferred to be the likely cask makeup for the modern 16yr). Buying this bottle thus served a singular purpose for me: reasonably priced 46% representation of the profile of Lagavulin 16, which to my palate is unique, if a bit soft, and I haven’t found much that tastes similar to it.
Distillery: Lagavulin.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 46%.
Age: 11 years. Bottled in 2019.
Cask type: First-fill and dechar/rechar ex-bourbon.
Price: $70 USD.
No info on color or chill filtration.
Bottle open across approx. 4 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: subtle ~ sweet pipe smoke, candied oranges, icing sugar, ash, with water added some lemon oil pokes through.
Palate: medium body ~ liquorice/fennel, oak spice, leather, palate fades just a bit, hints of cologne and orange zest.
Finish: medium length ~ liquorice tea, salt, smoked fish, more ash.
Conclusion: Remarkable, this really reminds me of the 16yr with just a touch more oomph and a hair less complex. For me, this bottle is fairly successful at mimicking the notes of the 16yr– it does need a bit of rest in the glass over time, relatively rare for me to have peated whiskies fade but this is one in that vein that becomes more quiet over time (though the nose and finish do not shift much.) Quite nice to sip on.
Before opening this bottle, I did try the Guinness-finished 2nd release from 2021 at a bar. My notes weren’t as in-depth, of course, but I found it to lean heavily into the banana-ester side of Lagavulin’s new make while also wrapping it in a cheap-chocolate overcoat (think Hershey’s or Nestle). My initial impression was a smoked banana split. Very interesting to explore, but maybe not my favorite mix of flavors to be honest, and I much prefer this one. That said, this is not doing anything remarkably different from the 16yr apart from a bit more heft and a bit less nuance, and so as an older version unlikely to still be on shelves I cannot recommend going after it specifically. If it was around and cheaper than the 16yr, as it was when I bought this bottle, then sure. Really it just hammers home once more my feelings about Lagavulin 16 needing a bump in ABV.
Final Score: 79.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 