Saturday, 2 December 2023

Ledaig 2011 Cuvée n°6 8 yo

 
 
 
60,9°
Distillery : Tobermory - Islands
Refill Spanish Butts and Refill Côtes de Provence Hogshead Finish
Independent Bottling 
By Signatory Vintage 
Limited Edition 
Single Malt 
Bottled in 2020
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Peated around 37 ppm
 
 
 
Always keen to try something new, Andrew Symington and his colleagues have attempted this series of 6 Ledaigs, first aged in Sherry Butts, then finished in different Hogsheads, French wine, Madeira or Port. To be precise, only half of the distillate follows the finishing process, the rest is left to rest in the Sherry Butts, so that the influence of the wine is not too strong. The result in the form of 672 bottles, in the case of Cuvée n°6, finished in a Hogshead of French Côtes de Provence wine, arrived after 29 months of finishing. Yes, it's original.
 
 
 

Let's Taste It : 
It's dirty, as dirty as a Ledaig should be. Big, heavy peat, fuel oil and gas oil, tar, coal, a few vegetal and iodised fragrances, kelp, green algae. And in the background, the influence of rosé wine, a little sour but also greedy, fermented cherries, candied fruits, goji seeds. On the palate, still fine peat with motor oil, but also lingonberry jam, semi-salted butter, before it all drowns in tar and spices. The finish is long, deep and charred, with burnt wood and still some fruits.
 
In Short, 
Frankly, I wouldn't have bet much on this type of bottling. But it works, the wine is not at all overpowering, complementing the distillate's abrasive palette of flavours. It can still be found on a few online sites at a price that was high at the time of its release, but is very reasonable today. Enthusiasts should get their hands on one, which is perhaps what I'm going to do.
Score : 88
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            To Be Listened While Sipping :
 
                                            Switchblade Symphony - Clown

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