Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington
Lagavulin Offerman Edition Guinness Cask Finish
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
May 24, 2021 (edited July 12, 2021)
So, I’m a sucker for Offerman’s Parks and Rec character Ron Swanson and all of his Lagavulin sipping, skeptical curmudgeon ways. If it wasn’t for Offerman my brother in law never would have gotten a bottle of Lag 16 for his bachelor’s party and I never would have drank half of it and fallen in love with it.
I was honestly a bit skeptical of this offering because I couldn’t cypher how Guinness could help Lag out. In the end I’m still not sure if it adds or detracts from the dram but I think I’m gonna call it even and just say “it’s different”.
Light golden in the glass, whispy med legs. In my mind I thought this would be darker but not so.
Smoke rises from the glass as it would from a campfire that was just doused with cold water. It plays a big role but other parts of the campfire come through - notably the charred wood (actual wood and not the full-on ash of Lag 16). Diving in there is a bit of brine, leather and honey. Rather than the dried citrus fruits of Lag 16 I get saltwater taffy and cinnamon bun (but no vanilla frosting).
Smooth with an in-your face barbecue smoke and then burnt wood, dark chocolate, honey and gram cracker. This is basically a smore for those who like their marshmallows blackened. There is no real sting but a mild building heat in the chest. Although not vicious there is a mouth coating that follows the sip and is noticeable into the smokey sweet finish. A bit of phenol sneaks in with subsequent sips but the sticky smores still run the show with a pleasantly charred, dark sweet profile.
Empty glass has notes of smoke, gram cracker, burnt marshmallow and salted barbecue.
The whole dram reminds me of semi-sweat bakers chocolate with some wood and smoke thrown in. Nothing surprises me about the palate being dark or heavy - I would expect nothing less with Guiness. This seems to lack some of the richness and sweetness of Lag 16. If you like Lag 16 and like Guinness I think you’ll be happy. If you’re an IPA or witbeer lover and seek herbal or fruity notes look elsewhere. If you’re not sure and want to save $10 buy the standard Lag 16 and spend the rest on beer.
100.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@PBMichiganWolverine You make a good point - if they've actually managed to create a permanent increase in demand as a result of the increased drinking during CoViD or premium perception, the prices could stay up. Another possibility that could keep prices up is if they reduce production of semi-premium bottlings like Lag 16 and come out with new expressions at lower prices to fill the gap. Assuming it's a monopolostically competitive market, a lot of scotch could stay as expensive as it is now or even rise in price, but something should come in to fill the gap of solid quality whisky at a more affordable price.
@ContemplativeFox @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington oh my god, I so can’t see a corporate entity reversing any increase in prices. So, if the tariffs gone, I think the prices will still stay the same or even increase. Once the demand curve is there, why go back? Either the corporate entity or retailers will hold to that extra profit. But @ContemplativeFox is more knowledgeable in economics than me...hopefully I’m wrong
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington Yikes! All I can hope is that the reversal of the tariffs eventually causes prices to fall (or at least slow their upward drift).
@ContemplativeFox furthermore Hazelburn 12 turned up but the asking price is $120 (hard pass)
@ContemplativeFox could be my area but TW is charging $200 for the 2020 DE and my favorite small shop dropped their price to $175 hoping to move it
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington Whoa! HOW much for the DE now? I got mine for around $90 less than 18 months ago.
I just ordered this after seeing some good buzz. I was a little disappointed in the first release, but waiting to review until it’s been open a bit. Hopefully it improves. Looking forward to trying the new release.
Interesting...great review. I've been skeptical as well, but I didn't know the price - I would have guessed higher.
@PBMichiganWolverine I’m excited to hear what you think of it. I looked at this next to the 2020 distillers edition at $175 and figured this would be a safe bet. I figure the DE at high proof is likely not all that far from a $70-80 bottle of Ardbeg but could way off.
I was skeptical of this as well. In general, I never found beer finishes on whiskey working out well. But I’m a sucker for Lagavulin, so purchased a bottle anyway