Lagavulin Offerman Edition Charred Oak Cask

Most of the reason people are resistant to peated scotches is, let’s face, it the flavors are abrasive to the untrained palate. When we first encounter them we’re not acclimated to them. Bourbons are sweet, ryes are spicy, sherry finished scotches are sweet. Islay scotches, peated whiskies are in a class all on their own. My children are curious about why I drink coffee. Here you want to taste it? I say. Ew, coffee’s disgusting, they say. It's bitter and abrasive. Um, it's delicious, I say. In my youth up until my early twenties I thought the taste of salmon was nasty, now it’s my favorite fish. It’s amazing how the palate changes over the years. It’s amazing how, even as the palate changes, people with refined palates still can’t agree on what they like and what they don’t like. Take this Lagavulin Charred Cask 11 Year Old. It seems that people don’t like it as much as they liked the previous iteration finished in Stout Casks. I can see that. The Stout Cask had such a chocolate malt milkshake kind of thing going on that it favored the sweet tooth. And we crave sugar, don’t we. Bitter is harder to acclimate to. Char is difficult to enjoy unless you’ve tested your palate repeatedly with char. A few weeks ago I have my uncle and aunt over. Funny to say that, my aunt is only 3 years older than me. My “uncle,” her husband, is a year older than her. They are my contemporaries, my peers, but by some fluke they are my aunt and uncle. They had come to see my daughter who’s recovering from an accident and they arrived during an Eagles game, during which my dad and I drink whisky. I asked my “uncle” if he wanted to partake with us, and he pointed out that, although he doesn’t often drink, he wouldn’t mind a dram. So we started with New Riff’s Balboa Rye. Both my dad and I took the hundred proof rye and said, um, that’s good. Craig, my “uncle,” coughed and said, that’s some strong stuff. Now, you can take this one of two ways: you can poke a little fun of that guy for being a novice, or you can acknowledge he’s not acclimated to the ways of the whisky drinker, give a nod to the fact 100 proof is hot, and welcome him in. Guess what we did? Second one: we welcomed him in. When we all finished our round, about the end of the first quarter, I broke out the Laphroaig 10. And I asked if he wanted to try it, warning him it was a refined taste, it was smoky and medicinal and that, most whisky drinkers don’t start there. To his credit, he took a pour, didn’t complain and seemed to appreciate, having been warned, what it was. But he did comment on how smoky it came off. And I was like, it’s funny, there’s a point at which, the flavors that are new to you don’t come off as odd to me or abrasive or in any way unpleasant. This Lagavulin—the 11 Year Charred Oak—reminds me a bit of the Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength in how smoky it is. The Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength Batch 15 to be clear was so smoky and ashy that, without water, it reminded me of licking the bottom of an astray at certain points. In other words, you really did have to cut it with an ice cube. It reminded my brother-in-law of fried electrical components, which, when pointed out, I couldn’t un-taste, but with an ice cube, it mellowed and was quite lovely. This Lagavulin is like the Laphroaig 10 CS Batch 15 with an ice cube. There’s a lot of ash on the nose and palate, and it’s maybe too much for the uninitiated, but to me there’s little hints of vanilla and chocolate and caramel in the background that make it an elevated scotch. On the palate, the ash diminishes, and it reminds me a lot of the stout finish in how creamy it is. It’s full of chocolate and char mixed together, almost like a burnt s’mores. The ash really comes back on the finish, but it’s not overpowering or overwhelming but delectable and really long and even a little nutty. Overall, I don’t think there’s a drop in quality between the Stout Finish and the Char Cask. It’s really a matter of perspective. This one was developed to be eaten with steak, and I don’t eat steak often anymore (I will steal a piece of my wife's plate, but I'm pretty much a fish eater when it comes to meat), but I could see how this would be good with a steak. This is good all on its own. I don’t think anyone who likes Islay has been hating on this. I think they’re just a bit let down since they don’t think it’s quite as good as the last one? But maybe I’m wrong. Can’t deny it though: Lagavulin makes good whiskey.

The first 2 editions of this Offerman line were solid, gimmick aside. I’m here for the Lagavulin. Adding the element of charred oak to an already fiery profile is an appealing prospect. I would’ve purchased this regardless, because once I find a limited release line that I enjoy, I stay true to it. It helps that the concept is intriguing. Let’s dive in. Nose: Campfire smoke, sulfur, sea salt. There’s also a heavy grapefruit and lemon citrus kick. Bandaid. Soft pretzel. Black bean, red pepper chili, though less than I expected. Sun-dried tomato. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Palate: Custard out of the gate, followed by grapefruit and lemon. Caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee. Honeydew, green apple, and apricot. Vegetal peat, moss. Milk chocolate. Something akin to a coffee ice cream flavor. Some red berry mixed in there. Plenty of cinnamon, black pepper, and charred oak. Finish: Plenty of cinnamon heat and barrel char. The caramel, milk chocolate, vanilla, and toffee persists from the palate. A burst of grapefruit, lemon, lime, green apple, pear, and some floral notes. Moderate length finish. This is shockingly tame. I’ll admit, I did some projecting onto this one ahead of time, but this tame for an iteration Lagavulin. At least until the finish, which I’d consider assertive at the most. With that being said, it is tasty. Easy-going. Far more of an earthy profile as opposed to the maritime beastliness I’ve come to expect or Lagavulin. It drinks like a peated Highlander. Nothing wrong with that. I’d rather be surprised by these annual releases than feel like I’m buying the same thing over and over with fresh packaging. I had this at 4.0, but decided it deserved the quarter star bump for VFM. It’s the cheapest of the 11-Offerman-Lags—which is a rarity considering how overpriced these lines end up being once they catch public attention. Solid pour. 4.25/5.

The nose is soft and velvety starting with grilled oysters with a squeeze of lemon juice and dash of sea salt then freshly cracked black pepper, dark chocolate, light diesel and chamomile tea leaves followed by caramelized pears, white grape juice and grilled pineapple that transitions to gauze bandages and popsicle sticks with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with grilled oysters with a squeeze of lemon juice and dash of sea salt then a mild bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to freshly paved asphalt, light diesel, honeysuckle and chamomile tea followed by caramelized pears, brut champagne and grilled pineapple that transitions to gauze bandages and popsicle sticks with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with tangy barbecued short ribs, brut champagne, black pepper, gauze bandages and an ashy bitterness. Overall, this is an enjoyable dram that has a balanced and delightful nose with a mix of grilled seafood, light ocean brine, creamy and lightly sour fruits along with light oak spices but the balance fails to carry over to the taste that veers towards a mild bitterness before fading and finishes meaty with sour fruits before a bitter ashy spice takes over and lingers. For me, I’d likely just reach for the Lagavulin 16 that doesn’t have ashy spice of this, but am extremely grateful for the opportunity to try this thanks to @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous sample.

Nick Offerman, a US actor has truly achieved the highest dream possible: to be the face of Lagavulin. He obtained that because he drank "the king of Islay" bottles in a famous tv show called Parks and Recreation. Lagavulin has already released 3 "Offerman" Editions, and this last one has been matured in heavily charred oak casks. Not an overly expensive dram, with an 11 year old age statement as the previous ones. Golden color, 46%abv. On the nose, it is your lovely Lagavulin peat. Rainforest, leather, hay, recently cut grass and very yeasty. Swamp aroma mixed with liquid paper and a quite spicy orange. Thick pepper and orange zest. Moss. The palate is pure perfection, it tastes exactly as it smells. This is a cowboy dram. I get some mezcal notes and salty water. If you chew it you'll get a beautiful rounded smoke. Aftertaste completes the offering; this is a flame. Actual pleasant fire, charred wood and salt. Oregano. Peat smoke. Mazing Overall, this might be the best of the three editions for me. It was outstanding, peaty, herbal, smokey and full of flavor. I shared with some people in a tasting event and everyone's mind was blown because of this dram. You must grab one, it is not expensive at all and you will get more than what you paid for. My acore for this incredible single malt is 96 over 100.

I’m a huge fan of Offerman Lagavulin editions, namely because this is one of the few brands that I feel truly encapsulates Nick Offerman. There’s a certain no-nonsense , down-to-earth working man ethos that I feel Offerman’s character aligns with the Lagavulin persona. I’ve tried the previous two ones, with the Guinness one being my favorite. This one here falls a bit short, not because it’s not good…but I just felt that it doesn’t convince me to buy this over the regular 16. I get the classic grilled oysters, lemon, and sea salt. Light tea…like chamomile rounds off the taste. But the smoke is muted. It’s more balanced with that muted smoke, which I think is good and bad. It’s balanced, but doesn’t strike me as a young Lagavulin. Overall, a good dram. One I certainly wouldn’t dismiss. But one I wouldn’t pay over $50. Just buy the 16 instead. You’re not getting anything that’s screaming “Lagavulin”. But, if you do find the Guinness cask one , buy on sight. That was amazing. Thanks to my buddy @Richard-ModernDrinking for sharing a generous pour!

Yes, yes. I sprung for the marketing hype. I’m prepared to come away with a big “meh” just because of the name on the bottle. Let’s see… Nose: My wife could smell the peat from across the room. Peat (obvi), campfire (must be the charred oak), sweet grilled peaches, and caramel. Palate: The peat and campfire are both there but it’s not overwhelming. The more you sip, the more that fades from view & the sweetness emerges. It’s just as the nose was: Grilled peaches. The typical Lagavulin oiliness is there and it coats the mouth nicely. Finish: All smoke. Campfire smoke, slight tobacco and pepper. This is perfection around the campfire. The perfect complement. It’s the Joey Tribbiani to Chandler Bing, the John Lennon to Paul McCartney. You can’t find a better pair. Overall: I’m not Mr. Peat. It’s probably 15% of the time that I’m reaching for a peated whisky. That said, this dram is solid. I’m splitting the bottle with a buddy & not regretting the purchase one bit.