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It’s just that the young whisky is just too easy to drink, or the barrels were very burnt, or the finish was short, hmm... IMHO there is a lot of Marketing in this batch, but not enough whisky deliciousness ((( 20+ 20 19 20+ 80

Since Fèis Ìle 2025 is just around the corner, I thought you'd give Lagavulin another chance. But Lagavulin still seems to be a shadow of its former self. Why does an 11-year-old at 46% turn out so awful by Lagavulin standards? And what's the point of all these rum casks and rum finishes these days? They rarely work; they should be getting their start at the top level by now. This is how you can drive an established distillery into the ground without any need.

tasted at Whisky in Leiden 2024, 1st of June 2024 The rum casks does it work, but tempers the Lagavulin profile quite a lot. I liked it, but not fully convinced

This is an excellent summer whisky that I really enjoy. My initial skepticism about the rum barrel maturation is completely unfounded.

Easy drinking. Doesn't stick in your head. 71-80 – Fine, like to drink by time

Nose-86; Taste-86; Finish-86.

A bit of a bland Lagavulin which does very little on the palate, but picks up again in the finish.

Pretty much what you would expect: a slightly smoother Lagavulin with sugary sweet rum notes.

Nice, but not for that money. It is a soft Lagavulin but little rum on the nose. The rum is noticeable in the taste and finish. I don't have the itch to buy a bottle of it, glad I only bought a sample.

S 6 A short-lived whisky. The texture and flavour profile starts losing its vibrancy within just a week in the bottle, a BBQ whisky rather than a sipping one. The initial dram as I recall was slightly overpowered by the rum on the nose and palate with a solid Lagavulin undertone. Below are notes of the second dram in a week's time. Have a bottle of Lagavulin 16 that lasted 2yrs and it still holds a better shape than this.

Pleasant on the nose, sweet, not very smoky, salty, maritime. A hint of rum in the sense of ester notes. In the mouth, initially also nice and sweet, salty smoke. But then quickly disappears with sour wood and a little bitterness. 11 years is simply too young for Lagavulin, at least at drinking strength.

A pleasant Lagavulin, but not a top-notch one. The rum is minimally prominent, which is fine in itself, as it preserves the distillery's character. Notes of spice, dried fruit, pleasant smokiness, and sulfur. Taste with salt, caramel, cane sugar, sugar, ripe fruit, and spices. A medium-long finish with notes of fruit, citrus, salt, and spices.

I'm a fan :-) I like Lagavulin and this special edition is great! So... The Lagavulin Offerman 11 Year Old Caribbean Rum Cask Finish is one of those whiskies I approached with equal parts curiosity and skepticism. Because the bottle was hyped and I saw it all over my social media feed. But hey. Let's keep an open mind. I tasted it and yes. I enjoyed everything I tasted; nothing muddies the harmony, no no no- the rum casks help lift the whole to another level. It adds an appealing layer of sweetness and light tropical character, yet it never quite sinks into the core of the spirit. Instead, it hovers at the edges, making the experience interesting but just a little disjointed. I enjoy drinking it, and there are moments where the contrast between smoke and sweetness really clicks. I'm happy that I have an open bottle in my cabinet :-)

Despite the exorbitant price and difficult availability, I like drinking this whisky very much, and it is one of the few whiskys with a rum finish that I like. Lagavulin is simply my favorite! Despite the clear rum tones, the absolute dominance of Lagavulinovská's dense and complex taste and aroma with a very specific ashiness, iodine and pungency of white pepper. New and new aromas, tastes and smells can be discovered in every sip of it. A very pleasant and complex drink for an unfortunately excessive price.

I’ve avoided the previous Offerman releases as I feared marketing hype over substance. However, this one got me interested as I am quite partial to a rum/peat combo, having got hooked on a rum cask Springbank many years ago. So…I took the plunge (only as I had points to use for a discount at Malts.com….I wasn’t going to pay £90!). Having had it open for a couple of nights now, I am pleased I bought it. The nose has classic Laga peat, citrus fruits and salty sea air, but is beautifully enhanced by the sugary sweetness from the rum casks. Not overpowering it, just enhancing it. Definitely a summery Islay profile then (rather than the heavier sherry cask malts I prefer in winter). A couple of drops of water brought out even more of the Laga spirit, making it perfectly balanced with the cask influence. Definitely not over-done. The palate is much like the 12yo annual limited edition but with some icing sugar dusted on top. I really appreciate that the classic citrus and peat notes I love haven’t been buried by the cask, but also really enjoy the unique addition of the rum cask (a first for Lagavulin?). The finish is the only slight letdown, with a little too much bitterness and not enough sweet-peat. That’s not enough to put me off, though, as I found my glass emptying and refilling quite fast ;-). Not a marketing gimmick then…rather a new angle on Lagavulin that I really appreciate and enjoy. Just knock £20 off the RRP and I’d be very happy!

not bad in general, but not matching my expectations. This Lagavulin feels somewhat watery to me. I would prefer 8yo or 12yo to this one. It has pleasant fruity flavors, which could nicely develop when matured for 7-9 extra years. But it seems that Diageo had an urgent need to release a rather average peated malt for such a high price.

Lagavulin Offerman Ed 11 year old Caribbean Rum Cask Finish, 46%. Pale amber. Aroma is milky, fruited yoghurt, light pineapple and peach esters, no smoke. For me it is too ‘lactic’ and muddled. Body is rounded, watery. Taste is soft and easy, some candy floss flavours come through the watery start. The nice subtle biscuity vanilla vibes that the 16 brings are there if you search but they’ve been drowned out. And it’s hard to say exactly what flavours are doing the drowning – it’s like the spirit has been neutralised into a watery vaguely fruity nothingness. The finish has typical Lagavulin smoke tempered and diminished by the sweetness. There’s a strange marzipan bubblegum vibe to this Lagavulin's finish. The spirit character doesn't come through. Doesn’t really work for me, this one. Always good to diversify and try new things but not a great outcome this time. Still a fine, perfectly drinkable beverage but if I owned a bottle I know I would never get to the bottom of it. 3.2/77

Pleasant smell, the rum flavor complements the characteristic Lagavulin flavor fantastically, the finish is really super long.

Smell: Fruity and light, rather light fruits such as pears, apricots and light grapes, citrus fruits carry the whole, then some banana and roasted coconut, spices and the dry smoke are always present. Taste: Pleasantly sweet start, also nice and fruity, the light fruits are there again but seem much more interwoven than in the nose, there are also mandarins, charred pineapple and a splash of lime, slightly salty, then spicy wood and smoke spread in the mouth. Finish: Long, dry, spicy and charcoal. Conclusion: If Lagavulin wanted to create a light summer whisky by their standards, then they succeeded.

Mineral aroma with notes of spices, dried fruits, pleasant smoke, smokiness, sulfur. Bright taste with notes of fire, salt, caramel, cane, sugar, ripe fruits, spices. Long aftertaste with notes of fruits, citrus, salt, spices.

Tasting: 2025-04-07 Farbe: Gold

Tasted this as the finale whisky in a line-up tasting at The Old Pipe in St Oedenrode. I like a Laga, but this one doesn’t live up to it’s name (and price) unfortunately.

The aroma is quite pleasant, with pleasant scents of oatmeal porridge and sea breeze, as well as mineral substances. However, the finish of the drink is not satisfactory. There is nothing to make one linger on it.

The contribution of the rum is light but not ethereal, knowing how to caress the impressions in perfect integration with the spirit of the distillery. Once again an excellent dram for a series that confirms itself as a certainty, especially when compared to other limited editions that are not as consistent in quality.

A pleasant Lagavulin, but not a top-notch one. The rum is minimally prominent

Unfortunately, smoky Islay bottlings from rum barrels are very rare. That's a shame, because the maritime and often smoky Islay character harmonizes perfectly with the Caribbean influence of the rum barrels. And why not, after all, the Caribbean is also very much influenced by the sea. If you think of winter and fireplaces when you think of this bottling, you are definitely wrong, because Lagavulin has created a real summer whisky that is easy to drink and simply fun. https://www.aboutwhisky.de/tastingnotes/lagavulin-offerman-edition-2024/

I love rum casks. I love Lagavulin. This should be my dream dram, and it mostly lives up to my expectations. The stereotypical citrus, brine, sea salt air, smoldering campfires, it's all here, but with a welcome addition from the rum cask. One of the reasons I love rum casks whisky is my sweet tooth. While this is by no means a dessert dram, it is way more balanced than I expected. The peat interplays beautiful with the rum and while it doesn't have the hogo funk that would drive me wild, it does have some of that cinnamon clove molasses that I was hoping for. My sales pitch: If you like Lagavulin 12, and wonder what it would taste like with subdued peat and a rum cask finish, look no further.

Rum finishes are generally a tricky subject for me. They often remain superficial, merely adding extra sweetness to the distillate without creating any real depth. Accordingly, I approached this edition with caution.

Nose has some peat smoke, tropical fruits and toasted coconut. Palate is charred pineapple, vanilla, some salinity and slightly peppery finish. Not as sweet tasting as I thought it would be

Beautiful flavor palette of nuts and the taste of the rum finish, a really nice dessert whisky. Also has a light citrus note.

Sea salt, candyfloss grapes, lemon, caramel, light campfire, bit peppery too but with water that gets tamed nicely, the lemon gets stronger and there’s a nice mint note. Medium-short finish.

Enkel näsa med en viss sötma. Bra sötma i smaken med lite rök och tydlig peat. Bra tyngd. Avslutar med bra rök och peat. Avslutar

Much better than i expected. (Honestly, I don’t get any hopes up) Rum cask Influence and spirit characters are well balanced. Especially tropical fruit notes go well together.