Whisky: Ledaig 25 Year (1995), Valinch & Mallet Cask 179

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 50.7%

Cask: Bourbon Hogshead

Age: 25 Years (Distilled 1995, Bottled 2020)

Nose: Soft and tropical with citrus, salt, wood shavings or old papers; papaya with a gentle mineral or peppery bite, waxy citrus and paraffin candies.

Palate: Medium-bodied, maritime and citrusy, tropical fruits, waxy candies, medicinal herbs and mellow antiseptics.

Finish: Long and lingering with citrus, brine, and a touch of wax.

Score: 8 (87)

Mental Image: Naps under the Palm Shade

Narrative & Notes: Soft citrus, salt, and wood shavings, like someone carving little wooden figures on an ocean pier. A touch of papaya and paper arrived alongside a gentle mineral and peppery bite with waxy citrus and tropical candies. Medium-bodied with bright citrus and salt, crisp starfruit, and old-fashioned paraffin wax candies. Slightly medicinal herbs and iodine antiseptic swabs pushed through the citrus toward the end.  The finish was long and lingered with citrus, gentle brine, and a touch of paraffin.

This was the first “unpeated style” Ledaig I recall popping up in my little corner of the whisky internet world. I had never heard of such a thing before— and I think, like most people, my first reaction was to ask, “Well, isn’t that just Tobermory?” The easy answer is that the Ledaig and Tobermory we know today did not exist in the same way in the early 1990s. Like similar releases from that brief 1993 to 1995 window, this spirit was produced using unpeated barley between runs of peated and unpeated make but fermented and distilled as if it was Ledaig. Typically, the malt was sold as blending stock, but some of the casks, whether by happy accident, mislabeling, or both, survived for us to enjoy.

Overall, I can see why some people in my little corner of the whisky world went a bit crazy about this whisky a few years back.  There was much to love between the creamy-waxy mouthfeel, the gentle maritime brine and minerals, and the crisp tropical fruits.  The whisky was beautifully balanced, the flavors well-integrated, and the finish just a bundle of sunshine. It was missing a bit of vibrancy to take it to the next level.