Lagavulin Offerman Edition 11 Year

Lagavulin 11yr old Offerman Edition 46%  I figured this would be quite the gimmick but I found it at a decent price and figured to give it a shot. I mean - it couldn’t be worse than the GOT Lag could it?? (actually I seem to be in the minority on that one. Lots of people like the GOT Lag). I only wish this would have been released as the Ron Swanson edition. I was quite surprised with this as you can read below. Smell - sour peat, peat reek, banana, melon rind. Allspice and clove are there too but not as heavy, Not quite your standard Lag but still good.  The sourness of it all is a surprise to me but it’s enjoyable. It does show some qualities of the standard 16 yr old. Taste - clean, astringent, Iodine, seaweed, brine. After that blast of medicinal comes some nice barley sugar sweetness with some vanilla. Even the sweetness from it is crisp and clean. A little bit of the clove and allspice but mostly brine and barley sugar. Finish - peat reek, sour melon, campfire ash, iodine, clean. Lagavulin used to be more of a staple in this house than it is now mostly due to the ridiculous prices out there these days.  I still enjoy Lagavulin anytime I can get my hands on it for a reasonable price.  This particular bottle is much better than I had expected. Overall, I really like this. Overall Grade: B

Nose: smoky campfire, smoked meats, sea salt air, with dried fruits, orchard fruits, malt, and vanilla trying their best to poke through. Palate: as you would expect, peat smoke, savory, spices, hint of fruits, earthy, peppery barrel notes, with medium finish that is ashy, peaty, and a light touch of sea salt brine. This is straight up a Ron Swanson dram without question. And by the end of your dram, if you’re a woman, you’ll probably have a lustrous beard. And if you a man, you’ll straight up look like Sasquatch when you finish it.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Light Amber. Nose: Smoke and salt evoke an oceanside campfire. Subtle notes of apple and pear are just below the surface. Palate: More salt, smoke, apple, and pear notes. Some bitter oak. Finish: Long length with medium heat. Splash: Less smoky but somehow more salty with a few drops of water. Overall: 8/10 - This seems to be hitting most of the major notes while missing the overall mark. It’s good, but considering the 90 score here on Distiller, I expected a more balanced dram.

This is the only special celebrity tie in whiskey I’ve ever liked. And frankly its amazing. It starts with a touch of sawdust and blossoms into a forest fire. A shorter tail than you’d expect but still wonderful. I’d take this over the 16 or 8 year standard offerings any day. Massively peaty but with some lovely subtlies to it. The tail is a little shorter than I’d like but save that this is close to a perfect dram.

The nose is somewhat sweet with a bit of smokiness. The palate is smokier than I would have thought from the nose, and there is a bitterness that goes with the sweetness, like a bitter dark chocolate. The finish is quite long, and the sweetness seems a bit more evident in the finish. Overall, I like this Offerman edition more than the Lagavulin Offerman Charred Oak.

Smokey bog fires on the sea coast is what my nose picks up. With a lingering hint of sweet heather at the end of the scent. Rich smooth honey on the first sip with the smoke and peat traveling leisurely down my palate. Rich and moneyed like fine leather goods. Treat yourself to this excellent scotch and please pair with lots of meat. Bacon wrapped everything!!!!