.ledaig - 1999-2015 - g&m - cc

Ledaig, the peated version of the Tobermory distillery on the island of Mull on the West-coast of Scotland, is often found at a fairly young age and as such, does really well between six and ten years. At 15-16 years, it certainly is not unheard of, but one could say it is rather unexpected.

46% abv, €80
single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: malt vinegar, briny, seaweed, smoke, ash, salty red apples (I don't know, but this could be a thing someday), a hint of eucalyptus

Palate: mildly sweet, a hint of vanilla, slightly briny, spicy, white pepper, sweet juicy golden delicious apples

Finish: tobacco leaves, bacon, quite a lot of ash, long
Mark: +++/++ 

Conclusion: If you are into the light and fruity, but smoky malts, she might just be your thing. Peaty, but not Islay peaty, fruity, but not Speyside fruity. Maybe quirky is a nice descriptor. She definitely has a character of her own. Which is nice. 

More info: distilled somewhere in 1999, matured in refill remade Hogsheads and bottled at 24/03/2015

.many thanks to Gordon & Macphail for sending us samples to review their #WoodMTW campain

ledaig - 10

46,3% abv, €35, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: medicinal, smoke, peat, sweet, nuts, young hazelnuts, salt, briny, mussels
Palate: sweet, fruit, soft caramel apples, spicy, black pepper, cinnamon, light smoke, floral, heather
Finish: spicy, firm, sweet, honey, medium long, slight smoke
Mark: +++/++

Conclusion: a good dram to have on a rainy evening in the fall. Just as we are having at the moment of tasting this. Although she is quite heavily peated with 30-40 ppm, she is a whole different dram from the peated malts from Islay. For the price, she would not be misplaced on your average whisky-shelf.

I would love to taste this when it would have matured in a good first-fill ex-Sherry cask. I will be on the look-out for an independent bottler with these specifications. Tips are - as always - very welcome.

More info: ten year old, peated Tobermory.

.ledaig - 7yo - TWE

59,6% abv, €??, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

No tasting notes, tasted at Maltstock 2013, during the Whisky Exchange's Masterclass

Mark: ++++/+

More info: really nice, this one. Proof that not all whisky needs to be at an old age to be drinkable. Many present gave this whisky a much higher age when first guessing. That said; we have tried another bottling of an eight year old Ledaig later in the weekend, of which we were not charmed at all.