This Lagavulin was a distillery exclusive from way back in 2010!  That simultaneously feels like only a few years ago, and also many decades in the misty past, certainly the dram provides a brief peek into Lagavulin around the time Parks and Rec boosted public awareness of the brand through its association with the iconic Ron Swanson. The whisky was a single malt mainstay in the Diageo lineup for many years, but its appearance on that show pushed it to a new level of pop culture awareness.

---

Whisky: Lagavulin Distillery Exclusive 2010

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 52.5%

Cask: Oak

Age: N/A (Bottled 11 March 2010)

Notes: Toasted orange peel, tobacco smoke, browned butter, and brown sugar offered a toasty sweetness to more classic notes of salty, cobalt seas and sandy beach tar— one more cocktail and cigarette with dessert before retreating from oncoming storm bands. Peppercorns and caramelized sugars met tallow and chicory with hints of instant coffee as some of the smokier elements settled. Medium-bodied on the palate, the flavors were similar with plenty of orange, butter, and brown sugar leading off, though with a thicker blanket of tar and smoke over the top. Mineralic with plenty of sandy, salty beaches, strewn with sea weed, driftwood, and tar. More pepper lingered near the end with cigarette butts, a bit of cocoa, and plenty more orange and brine. The finish was long with orange, pepper, ash, and brine— standing on the beach watching the storm clouds approach.

---

Score: 8 (87)

Mental Image: Stormy Skies and Sweet Desserts

Conclusion: This was wonderful and left me wondering whether Lagavulin would be one of my highest rated distilleries if I could have it more often. While the Lagavulin core product range, the 8 and 16 Year, are fairly ubiquitous, there are few other avenues to explore the distillery. Special releases come annually, but anything beyond that requires either a bucket of cash or a trip to Islay (with a bucket of cash ideally).

This was great, with a clear balance between fruits, sugars, sea, and something dirtier.  The layers of flavors were clear and easily distinguishable, though there was sometimes a touch of bitterness at the end that I thought water accentuated. Overall, wonderful if you can get it.