Ledaig 2005 13 year TWE

The 2nd sample vial I bought with me to Hawaii…this one a 13 yr sherry matured Ledaig, sent courtesy from @Richard-ModernDrinking. In 75 degree weather, sitting by the Westin Princeville pool, not sure if a Peat/ sherry combo is ideal in this setting….more meant for lighter drinks, but is there ever a wrong place for a really good Ledaig? This is how I like my whiskey. Rich, thick mouthfeel. It’s briny, salty, and sweet. Carmelized fruit. Rich meat and nuts ( the recent macadamia crusted ahi I just had comes to mind). Sea salt chocolate. It’s a decadent whiskey that acts older than its young teen years. Great cask choice by the folks over at TWE. Thanks Richard for the pour!

Continuing my exploration through some Ledaig offerings, is a sample generously provided by @Richard-ModernDrinking of a single sherry butt that aged for 13 years before being bottled in 2019 for TWE at 57.4%. The nose is rich and dense starting with tangy smoked pork belly, caramelized pears and charred hay bales then cocoa powder dusted figgy pudding and seaside rocky minerality followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, grilled peaches and musty grapes that transitions cloves and sweet pipe tobacco with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and syrupy mouthfeel starting with tangy smoked pork belly, caramelized pears and charred hay bales then a mild peppery spice that quickly fades to cocoa powder dusted figgy pudding and seaside rocky minerality followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, grilled peaches and musty grapes that transitions to freshly lit pipe tobacco with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with dense chocolate torte, caramelized figs, candied bacon and freshly lit pipe tobacco that lingers for minutes. Hell yes, this is how I prefer my Ledaig with a dense and rich nose that the flavors come through big and bold with smoked meats, decadent caramelized fruits, light farmyard funk, seaside minerality and tobacco that carries over to the palate with a rich syrupy mouthfeel that finishes long with rich chocolate, sweet meats and smoking tobacco. The flavors in the Ledaig 10 were so thin and subtle with an ABV of 46.3% which felt like driving a Shelby Cobra Mustang with a lawn mower engine as you could tell there was potential, but it needed some additional horsepower and that’s exactly what the 13 did by ramping that ABV to 57.4% to replace the lawn mower engine with a V8 that transforms the experience into a supercharged thrill ride that you need to buckle in for the full throttle flavors that are unleashed.