Ledaig 15yo 1990-2006 43% Connoisseurs Choice
From some refill sherry casks. The color is light amber. It smells sherry, raspberries, dark grapes, strawberries, sweet and fresh with a lot of berries going on. Also some oak and lavender, floral, mint leaves, banana jam. The taste is light and crispy, medium dry, sweet, cinnamon and wheat crackers. Small amount of peat and licorice on the finishing notes. More sherry than peat in this one if you ask me. Some water opens it up a bit, more sherry and licorice, and even some fresh coastal notes like wet rocks and oysters.
This one needs water, not many peaty ones need that: 5
Ledaig 8yo 1993-2001 43% Signatory Vintage cask#74
Most likely from a bourbon cask. Distilled and bottled within the oak-span of the CC-bottling. A very fresh young and peaty one? The color is not far from the same as water. It smells lime juice, ginger, peppery, some cereals and tea. Not very much going on here. The taste is light, some hints of stewed onions and vanilla, grassy maybe, but neither peaty nor coastal, this is not far from the old 15yo Highland Park, you know the one with green band on the label that was almost nowhere to be found(!).
Easy, breezy, have on ice or even in a cocktail, not much fun on its own: 3
Tobermory 12yo 1995-2007 56.9% The Single Malts of Scotland cask#482,828
From two bourbon hogsheads making for 861 bottles altogether. Some miniatures in the bunch then? This is not peated. The color is golden. It smells peppery, coastal, salty, carbonized water, peaty(?!?), spirity, herbal liqueur. The taste is burnt, oaky, vanilla, honey, bananas, custard, red bell peppers, gorgonzola cheese, cheddar, parmeggiano. This is great stuff! The finish is minty and long lasting, herbal.
But remember, strength matters!: 7.5
Ledaig 10yo 1993-2003 56.5% James MacArthur's Old Master's cask#271
I think this is quite neat, JMcA bought both cask 271 and 272 from 1993. Which were bottled in 2003 and 2004. I mean, if neighboring casks are bottled at pretty much same age it means that the first bottled cask must've been good? I hope and believe so. The color is once again just like water, pale as it gets. It smells peppery and peaty, a lot of peat this time around, tobacco, gin, coastal, salty, raw onions, lime rind, flinty, sauerkraut, lemon cream, heather. The taste is peaty, lemon rind, orange zest, toasted oak, creamy, cinnamon, leather.
About as good as it gets so far, from Tobermory: 8
Ledaig 13yo 1998-2011 61.2% Malts of Scotland cask#11010
From a sherry butt, I hope it will be a bit bigger than the Sherry casked CC. But I must say that having tried the NAS OB Ledaig early in the 2000's, I think this distillery have come a long way. The color on this baby is dark grey/brown, seems to perhaps come from a bitter sherried cask? It smells light, floral, some sweet honey and vinegar notes, very pleasant, but no peat to be found so far. You could easily tell me this was a cheap blend and I'd believe you, but a good cheap blend then. The taste is very spicy, tarragon, oregano, led, dry white wine, fino sherry, great stuff!
Unfortunately there aren't many of these around anymore: 7.5
Ledaig 10yo 2001-2011 63.1% OB for Krügers www.whiskyauction.com btl.7/480
This one comes from a sherry cask of some sort, I'm not sure which. The color is
light orange/brown. It smells spicy, honey, vinegar, red bell peppers, a very strong scent of balsamic vinegar. Some smoked onions and smoked paprika, very nice one indeed. The taste is fresh, sweet, balsamic vinegar, peppery, some licorice, sweet licorice, oregano, herbal, salty meat. Rubbery and peppery finish. I'd love to say this is the best one in this session, but once again it just lacks a small hint of the ocean.
Great stuff even though not very complex(as if that matters): 7.5
Next tasting: Ardbeg Distillery
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