Yesterday, I sat down with my boss Vic and said to him: “I can’t imagine ever having too much $24.99 Lagavulin, so whatever we need to do to sustain this price for as long as possible, let’s do it.”
So now we have plenty of $24.99 Lagavulin. Yes, 9 year old Lagavulin for $24.99.
As I said to one of my customers yesterday: “Who cares about anything else when you can get Lagavulin for $24.99?”
If I had to come up with an analogy for the ridiculousness of this deal, I’d say imagine having access to endless bottles of Dom Perignon for $40. You may not want Dom at $150+, but you’ll certainly drink it for $40. In fact, you’d probably buy a case at $40 a bottle.
That’s what I did with the Lagavulin 9 year for $24.99. I bought 12 bottles, threw them in my bunker, and relished the warm feeling in my stomach from the incredible price. In my humble opinion, anyone who doesn’t buy a case of this is crazy.
For the last twenty years or so, no single malt whisky has defined the connoisseur's palate like Lagavulin. Macallan 18 may be the popular choice for gifts these days, but the smoky, peaty, complexly-integrated flavor profile of Lagavulin has proven time and time again to separate those who simply drink Scotch from those who truly appreciate it.
It's the bellwether of Scottish single malt for the 21st century.
When I started in retail, my competitors were all fighting to have the lowest price on Johnnie Walker Black or Glenlivet 12. I made sure we had the lowest price on Lagavulin 16 because I knew that the type of drinker I was catering to had already graduated from entry-level whisky.
It worked. Within months of dropping that price, I had 1,000 new customers emailing me for recommendations.
So when I saw the chance to sell Lagavulin 9 year for $24.99 and for an extended period, I moved mountains to make it happen.
How is this possible, you ask? Because of the Game of Thrones marketing. The show is long over. They made too much with the logo on it. Now they want it gone.
While the House of Lannister adorns the exterior, the whisky inside the bottle is still 9 year old Lagavulin. It’s got that classic butterscotch profile, tempered with peat, and packed with oak spices on the finish. It’s delicious. It never gets old.
11 year old higher proof Lagavulin will cost you $100. 12 year cask strength even more. The 16 only gets down cheaper because of extreme market forces, but you’re still gonna pay $80+ after taxes.
I’m hesitant to make never statements these days (because I thought I’d never be back in retail when I quit back in 2018), but I can’t imagine we’ll ever see sub-$50 Lagavulin ever again. Never, ever, ever.
Just be thankful. Load up. Pack your bunker. Pad your supplies. And each time you crack a new bottle, think back to the one good thing that happened in 2020: Lagavulin for $24.99.
-David Driscoll