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Ledaig 10 Year Old

Solid Islay Alternative

11 887

@OdysseusUnboundReview by @OdysseusUnbound

12th Jan 2022

0

Ledaig 10 Year Old
  • Nose
    ~
  • Taste
    ~
  • Finish
    ~
  • Balance
    ~
  • Overall
    87

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Ledaig doesn't make its way to Ontario very often and that's kind of a shame. This one is decently priced by LCBO standards and checks all the right anorak and/or Ralfy-approved boxes:

  • Respectable abv? Check (46.3%)
  • Natural colour? Check
  • NCF? Check
  • Age statement? Check

But the aforementioned are all for naught if the whiski isn't good, right? So let's see what we've got.

Tasting notes

Undiluted from a Glencairn

  • Nose: ashy smoke, earthy peat, with a touch of honey, cinnamon and a subtle hint of red fruit coming through, strawberries maybe. After a few minutes in the glass, there's some malty and nutty notes coming through.
  • Palate: very easy arrival (do I dare use the "s"-word?), creamy mouthfeel (is this whiski or full-fat milk?), floral, honeyed, with more smoke and peat, and a touch, nay, a suggestion of oak spice (cinnamon in particular)
  • Finish: medium length, the creaminess becomes a bit waxy (in a good way, I promise), and the smoke lingers alongside the malty and nutty flavours.

I thoroughly enjoy this malt, and I'm hesitant to finish the last pour from my bottle. My reluctance isn't rooted in the fear of never tasting this again; Ledaig 10 is very good, but it's not a life-altering experience. It's just sad that this isn't around more often. It's a bit of a funny one to score. I wonder if I'm influenced by the scarcity (rarity?) of this malt when evaluating it. Hmmm. All things considered, it's a solid whiski that can hang comfortably with any comparable offering from Islay. I don't esteem it as highly as Laphroaig 10 (43% in these parts) but I definitely like Ledaig 10 more than Bowmore 12.

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8 comments

@RianC
RianC commented

Wow, the post was so good it popped up twice smile

2 years ago 3Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC commented

@OdysseusUnbound - Nice review and would agree with those notes. I definitely noticed more anise and fennel in my first bottle. Personally, I think they've added more wine casks over the years and I prefer it more in ex bourbon. I am gearing up to reviewing the bottle I have open as well but there's quite a few out there at the minute what with ralfy's recent double whammy!

I noticed earlier (currently shivering at home with the flu, remember that? smile ) that my bottle, which has been under par, so far, had some mould on the cork. So I've quickly swapped it and left the bottle uncorked for most of the day.

Let's see if this improves things any before I commit ...

2 years ago 4Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@OdysseusUnbound Nice review. It's a solid mid '80s malt for me every time. I like to keep a bottle of Ledaig 10 and a bottle of Longrow Peated on hand as alternatives to Islay peat.

2 years ago 3Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

@BlueNote I've never tried Longrow. Every time it pops up near me, it sells out pretty fast. I suppose that could be construed as some kind of endorsement.

2 years ago 3Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@OdysseusUnbound It's the only affordable, in-stock Springbank offering I've seen lately. Try and grab one, I'm sure you'd like it.

2 years ago 0

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

This is a good one. Have you also tried Tobermory 10 from the same distillery?

I find something kind of rough-and-tumble, almost dirty, about Tobermory whiskies. Wide cuts? But they make it work.

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

Also totally agree about your comparison to Laphroaig and Bowmore.

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

@Megawatt I have not tried the Tobermory 10. It’s on my radar for sure.

2 years ago 0