Ledaig 1973 (Chieftain’s #1711-1712)

While letting this Ledaig 1973 settle in the glass, I looked at a couple of other reviews, and it quickly became clear that the judges didn’t really agree. That made me even more keen to try it.

This one is a combination of cask #1711 and #1712. Ian Macleod also bottled cask #1710 in its Chieftain’s series.

Ledaig 31 yo 1973 (47,8%, Chieftain’s 2004, sherry hogsheads #1711-1712, 120 btl.)

Nose: quite peculiar. Rather estery, minty, with lots of resinous notes and a little balsamic vinegar, but on the other it also shows a classic dark side. Coal, wet tobacco leaves, very faint dirty notes. Mineral notes, pine needles, grapefruit. Dusty cupboard. Rhubarb. Interestingly, there’s little peat to be found, and not the usual sherry thickness either. What’s left is intriguingly nice, but also quite thin in a way.

Mouth: starts with the same pine tree notes, spearmint, cardamom, thyme extract. Sour woody notes. Some sour cherries, citrus and blueberries. Black pepper. Lots of waxy and resinous notes. An earthy note and a deep sooty layer underneath. Cigar.

Finish: bittersweet, on blackberries, raisins and salty oak. A tarry / ashy aftertaste.

This Ledaig leaves you stunned, because it’s quite unique but also uncompromising, nervous, a bit unbalanced. Love it or hate it? I think it’s great. Cheers to you, Carsten.

Score: 92/100