My first Ledaig 1995 was the Ledaig 1995 from The Whisky Agency, released in 2020. It blew me away – not just because it was such a complex whisky, but also because it was unpeated. The Ledaig in our glass today comes from the same batch of casks. The Thompson Brothers say this was blending stock to be used within Burn Stewart.
Even though it is unpeated whisky they insist on using the name Ledaig. After all the distilling parameters of Ledaig spirit are different from those of Tobermory spirit: longer fermentation times, different cut points and reflux settings. So definitely Ledaig, only from unpeated malt this time.
Ledaig 26 yo 1995 (44,7%, Thompson Bros 2022, refill hogshead, 256 btl.)
Nose: lime, waxed papers, crushed pink peppercorns, broken branches and a lot of paraffin notes. Some menthol tobacco, gentle herbs and dried flowers. Then kumquats come out (long time since we had these) and green apples. Idiosyncratic whisky, fruitier and much more elegant than your typical Ledaig or Tobermory.
Mouth: now leathery notes and light honey are mixed with a sour fruitiness (grapefruit and lime), raw cereals and carbon paper. Plenty of herbs come forward again, as well as mint, lemongrass and a touch of aspirin. Then it turns towards wet rocks and a subtle salty note.
Finish: fairly long, with citrus peels, oily / waxy notes, white pepper and honeysuckle.
I love the waxy fruitiness, harmony and somehow ‘outdated’ notes of these Ledaig casks. If anything it shows how the same stills can produce totally different spirit. Very interesting and simply very quaffable. Recommended. Still available from the Thompson Brothers webshop.