54,4°
Distillery : Tobermory - Islands
Bourbon Hogshead
Independent Bottling
By The Whisky Kingdom
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2020
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Peated around 37 ppm
The Wu Dram Clan is the association of three seasoned enthusiasts, two Germans and a Japanese, who have been making waves in the spirits world for five years now. Initially, their distribution company was called The Whisky Kingdom, but from 2020 onwards, they began releasing their products through Duckhammer's Rare & Fine Spirits. So this Ledaig is one of their first works, the fourth if connoisseurs are to be believed. And it was the talk of the town. Aged in a single Bourbon Hogshead for 11 years, it should retain all the splendour of its distillate. 279 bottles have been released for sale.
Let's Taste It :
Fairly woody attack, drifting towards gingerbread and cinnamon. The peat is in the background, well smoked, charcoal-like, but not very medicinal. Some seaweed and sea spray, but no iodine. Prunes, dates, a few drops of caramel. The wood becomes varnished, with honeyed hints. Very sweet on the palate, with candied figs and melting milk chocolate, quince marmalade, medlars and a knob of butter. The spices are full-bodied without being aggressive, nutmeg, cloves. The finish is long but not violent, with chestnut shavings, aniseed and, I think, even floral notes. Artichoke heart.
In Short,
I've read all the reviews about this very well-known bottling, and I can say that my impression, and that of the people who've shared my tasting, is very different. It's a very smooth, woody, relatively fruity Ledaig that's unrecognisable. It was tasted blind, and I would never have recognised a Ledaig, let alone an island whisky. Sure, it's peated, but the peat is mostly smoky, not very iodised, almost not medicinal, and even less dirty, as Ledaig usually is. I was thinking more of a country peat, Benromach or Glenturret. It's disappointing, of course, because it's not what you'd expect, but once you've got over the disappointment, you realise that it's quite good anyway. The only thing I wasn't too keen on was the palate, which I found too sweet. In any case, it's a famous bottling, hard to find these days, so of course the price is very high, I'm not sure I'd recommend buying it.
Score : 88
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Nilüfer Yanya - Midnight Sun
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