My Impression of Ledaig 10 Year Whisky

I am familiar with Tobermory whisky, distilled on the Isle of Mull. By familiar I mean I've tried a few of their expressions and not been disappointed, but it has not been a 'go to' whisky for me. What I did not know is that the current Tobermory distillery has changed hands several times and was originally known as Ledaig when it first opened in 1798. In honor of this, Tobermory produces a peated whisky that they label as Ledaig. This fact was unlikely to ever truly come to my attention, but thankfully it did.

I recently attended a tasting event at Whiskeyfest at the Irish Lion Restaurant and Pub in Bloomington, Indiana, USA (hopefully the first of an annual event). As an aside, the extreme oddity of finding this gem of whisky bar in what is otherwise a remote and unremarkable Mid-West American university town is one of the highlights of a truly interesting couple of whisky years.

Anyway, at one of the tasting tables was an enjoyable set including Bruidladdich's Laddie Ten, Bunnahabhain 12yr, two from Deanston, a Tobermory 15yr, and a Ledaig 10yr. Ledaig was the only one I had not heard of at the table, and I was intrigued.

The Ledaig was exactly the reason I went to the tasting with a plan of taking written notes and photos of each bottle. It wasn't just to try and enjoy something rare that I would not otherwise get to try, but also wanted to identify something I enjoyed and was in reach of acquisition in the future. This bottle certainly fit the bill.


My notes as taken at the time:

Appearance: dried grass, long tall legs
Nose: burning leaves miles away
Palate: grass, smoke, salt breeze
Finish: subtle sweet then spice, fading in layers

It struck me as a fine island whisky - sharp, with Islay-like flavor and a nice peated tang. I was surprised, and quite pleased.

I have since compared other tasting notes, from more refined palates than mine (because while I trust my taste for my own enjoyment, a second opinion never hurts), and happily found my vague conclusions scribbled on a page standing in a warm and crowded tasting room seem pretty valid.

• Master of Malt
• Whisky-Pages

A truly worthwhile bottle, excellently priced in the US$50 range.