Ledaig 10 Year Old

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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