Ledaig 29 Year (1995), Westie Sponge #4
Whisky: Ledaig 29 Year (1995), Westie Sponge #4
Country/Region: Scotland/Islands
ABV: 52%
Cask: Refill Sherry Butt
Age: 29 Years (Distilled 1995, Bottled 2024)
Nose: Dirty and industrial with Root beer and marzipan, maritime and a touch rubbery, gamey meat, candle wax, grill smoke.
Palate: Medium-bodied, vibrant with a building waxiness, medicinal herbs, charred meat, wispy smoke, dirty and industrial, Root Beer, iron and rust, maritime brine.
Finish: Long and lingering with cola, wispy smoke, and a touch of brine.
Score: 9 (92)
Mental Image: Soda Pop Sommelier Recommends a Bison Steak Pairing
Narrative & Notes: Motor oil and marzipan with Dr. Pepper, sarsaparilla, and root beer— a root beer float with almond or vanilla ice cream. Rubber buoys and sea water drifted among notions of gamey meat and a seaside brasserie with waxy candles and mouthwatering grill smoke. Medium-bodied and vibrant on the palate with a mild waxiness, medicinal herbs, charred meat, and oil street lamps— the wife compared it to prepping and stuffing a chicken to roast with herbs, fats, and wispy smoke. Dirty and industrial at times with sweet sarsaparilla, Dr. Pepper, and an old iron grill with a touch of rust alongside gentle maritime brine. The finish was long and lingering with cola, wispy smoke, and a touch of brine.
I know I have complained a few times about the price of Whisky Sponge bottles, even considering the high floor for their overall quality. While this was not cheap, it was superb and embodied so much of what I love about early nineties Ledaig that I actually bought two bottles. It grew on me with every revisit and I absolutely adored the pairing of sweet colas and sodas with something dirty and maritime, even gamey and meaty. Those elements were all very distinctive and well-rounded providing a wonderful progression from one element to another.
Overall, fabulous stuff. Big cask-driven profiles are not to my taste, but this struck the right balance with a beautiful waxiness on the palate that built with each sip. I loved it enough that I bought a bottle and then another.
