This whisky is obviously not from the stash of long-accumulated bottles that I am supposed to be opening, drinking and reviewing these days on the blog. It’s just that I wasn’t able to keep myself from picking up a bottle when I saw it at our local Costco last week. I’ve quite enjoyed the preceding Offerman Editions of Lagavulin 11 and so it seemed to be a good bet. As you may recall, the very first Offerman Edition—which was released in 2019, I think—did not have any cask complications associated with it. The second edition—which came out in 2021, I think—received a Guinness cask finish. Meanwhile, the third edition featured maturation in casks that had been shaved down and re-charred. I didn’t like the third one quite as much as the first two but all have been interesting variations on the Lagavulin profile and not gratuitous celebrity cash-ins. The fourth edition—only just released in the US—sees the whisky get a rum finish for eight months. Let’s see how it compares to the others.

Lagavulin 11, Offerman Edition, Rum Finish (46%; from my own bottle)

Nose: Mossy, vegetal peat to start with quite a lot of iodine coming up behind along with bitter notes of burnt rope. Saltier on the second sniff and then the smoke begins to get drier. Some lime as it sits. Not much sign of the rum in the early going; not much later either. With a couple of drops of water the smoke and peat recede and it gets sweeter

Palate: Comes in with brighter smoke and then some biscuity sweetness as I swallow. A very good drinking strength; decent texture. More of the burnt rope/char on the second sip and also more of the salt. As it sits the burnt rope and biscuity notes meet in the middle at charred wheat toast. Less smoke, less char and more sweetness here too with water.

Finish: Long. The smoke gets ashy at first and then the char asserts itself. The salt lingers as well. As on the palate with water.

Comments: A very pleasant Lagavulin that I will enjoy drinking down—and I’ll be interested to see if the rum becomes more assertive as it goes. As it is now, it’s nothing I need another bottle of—not when the classic 16 yo is available for only a little bit more money.

Rating: 87 points.