Whisky : Lagavulin 11 Year, Offerman 2021 Edition

Country/Region : Scotland/Islay

ABV : 46%

Cask : Ex-Guinness Cask Finish

Age : 11 Year

Nose : Roasty, chocolate, and subtle maritime.  Opened right away into notes of cocoa powder, milk chocolate, and sweet roasty char.  Typical Lagavulin notes of salty maritime and herbal medicinal lingered in the background.  Cacao processing: from roasted cacao nibs, to earthy husks, to floral raw materials.

Palate :  Medium bodied with a soft profile of chocolate, roast-char, and herbal notes.  Slightly burnt brownie edges came to mind with notes of malty pastries, chocolate, and char.  A mild salt with salted chocolate carried throughout while herbal notes developed with more time and led to smoked tea, tobacco, and a medicinal compress.

Finish :  Lingering mild notes of charcoal and chocolate.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Chocolate Factory Tour Group

Notes : Wow!  This was remarkably different from the Offerman Edition last year.  While that had a lovely salty-maritime profile which leaned heavily into classic Lagavulin malt and not a lot of obvious cask influence, this went an entirely different direction.  This was absolutely brimming with soft chocolatey notes.  While a subtle maritime influence appeared here and there it appeared as a sweet brine or salted chocolate.  Briny and medicinal notes sat in the passenger seat on this mild and approachable dram.  I was surprised how much influence those Guinness casks had, I assume they are the reason this came off so chocolatey.

I rated this a bit higher than the previous year’s edition, which I thought was also pretty good.  I loved Nick Offerman in Parks & Rec and, though I find celebrity endorsements of whisky a bit odd, I am glad that both of his namesake editions have been enjoyable.  I am more ambivalent on the price to quality ratio.  It appears to retail for about $85 and up; if it were $15 dollar cheaper I would rate this as an incredible value and an instant buy.

Overall, an incredibly mild and approachable dram with a soft and easy to drink profile.  I am afraid to know how quickly I would finish off a bottle of this— it was so easy to drink and felt perfect for just about any evening when you want something simple and delicious to relax with for a bit.