Our June 2015 monsoon tasting trio featured whiskies from Ireland, USA and Scotland:
- Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix 55%
- Westland cask no 395 54.6%
- Ledaig 18 year 46.3% – this one!
The Scottish contribution may have been last but was definitely not the least!
Ledaig 18 year (Whisky Lady)
- Nose – Opening up a box of biscuits, the dive deep into the forest with wet moss, dripping in humidity, whiff of smoked bacon that became increasingly prominent, some fruit cake or Christmas pudding, fresh sawed lumber, sea salt, cod liver oil, musty
- Taste – A meaty peaty, chewy body… As our host shared, as a vegetarian, the whisky simply doesn’t fall into a vegetarian profile so she had no real reference point! Tumeric, smokey tobacco, smooth and oddly mild, oily
- Finish – Sweet, salty but significant. Some thought it had a salty bitter quality.
Ledaig is a whisky line from the Tobermory distillery – the only whisky distillery on the Isle of Mull. While it hearkens its origins to 1798, it has a checkered history with a revolving door of owners, times when the doors shut then re-opened and is currently owned by Burn Stewart Distillers who also own Deanston and Bunnahabhain distilleries.
The Tobermory distillery produces whiskies in various avatars:
- The peated single malt Ledaig expressions
- Some whiskies – both single malts and blends – under the Tobermory brand
- And can be found in blends like Scottish Leader and Black Bottle
Ledaig 18 label (Whisky Lady)
A wonderfully smoky island single malt Scotch whisky which balances sweet and floral aromas with the richness and warmth of sea salt and smoke.
This 18 Year Old Ledaig represents the rebirth of the style of malt whisky that would have originally been produced at the distillery.
This sought after peated Hebridean style Single Malt Scotch Whisky balances rich and fruity, sherried smokiness with seaweed and light creosote that allows for a long and quite pungent finish with more smoke and a hint of liquorice and sea spray. Unchill-filtered @ 46.3% ABV.
Monsoon trio – Tullamore DEW Phoenix, Westland Cask No 395, Ledaig 18 year (Whisky Lady)
Whisky Lady 