Richard-ModernDrinking
Ledaig 10 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed
May 11, 2019 (edited October 27, 2019)
Sweet shisha, this is a good whisky. That’s a description as much as an exclamation, as the Ledaig’s aroma of sweet hookah tobacco triggered a Proustian flashback to a trip to Cairo more than 30 years ago. The sweetness of the nose carries onto the palate on first sip, but the influence of the bourbon casks isn’t one-dimensional. The flavors turn dry and then tangy before combining into a long finish. It’s a rich and satisfying mix of sweet and savory at a good strength and a great price. It’s as enjoyable as many an Islay and very worthy of the praise I increasingly hear for the distillery. This was my first Ledaig and I’m curious to see how the more exotic variants in my sample library stand up to this benchmark. In the meantime, I highly recommend this taste of an Arabian night.
CORRECTION: I just noticed I had a Ledaig 13 Amontillado five months ago, so this is my second from the distillery. I rated the 13 three stars,
15.0
USD
per
Pour
Caledonia Bar
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@Richard-ModernDrinking I look forward to reading your opinions!
@KRB80 Nice. I think the samples I have are a couple of distillery exclusives. Will have to try them soon.
@Richard-ModernDrinking Actually, Ledaig has just recently became a love affair with me when I revisited it a little less than a year ago. I first tried it maybe 5 years ago at a bar and didn’t think that highly of it. Boy, was I wrong. Just goes to show you 1) not to form a final opinion on a bar pour, and 2) always be open to second chances!
@Richard-ModernDrinking if you can track down one of the G&M Cask Strength Ledaigs, they are wonderful. I have a 19yr bourbon cask from Cadenhead that I have yet to open; got high hopes for that one. Most of the older OB with various cask finishes are very highly rated too but I haven’t tried them yet. I passed on a AD Rattray 9yr last night due to a few reviews that seemed to make me think it wouldn’t be worth the $100 price tag.
@KRB80 which others should I try?
‘Effin love Ledaig
@1901 Who needs madeleines? Didn’t get that salty note you mentioned, which is a shame, as I like salt in my malt.
@Richard-ModernDrinking you gotta love the transportative power of whisky! Nice review. Glad to see you enjoyed it more than I did.
Ledaig is coming out of the shadows. Damn good distillery, usually not one thinks of when they think Islander (that goes to HP or Talisker), but it’s damn good and reasonable