We’re at the mid-way point in the Boutique-y Advent Calendar and today’s offering is an 18 year old Ledaig. Bottled at 51.7% and showing off the heavily peated side of Mull-based distillery Tobermory.
Nose: Immediate dirty smoke – soot, ash, cigarette butts, rubber and some muskiness. But, there’s more than just smoke here - sharp citrus, apples, beef stock, copper/brass, boiled vegetables and quite an earthy undertone – part mushroom, part soil. The addition of water really heightens the rubberiness bringing out some bicycle inner tyre aromas. Heavy, arguably complex and probably not for everyone this.
Taste: Dirt and sweets. Lots of filthy earthy peat, rubber tyres, soot and slight farmyard. These sit rather interestingly with very saccharine sherbet dipped fruits (particularly citrus), vegetables again – green peppers – and some underlying minerality akin to wet slate. Water reduces the sugary notes and heightens the rubber, giving an almost plasticated flavour.
Finish: Medium to long (and lengthening further with a splash of water) and offering a ton of earthy soily smoke.
For some reason I’ve imbibed more Ledaig this year than ever before, and I’ve noticed two broad styles that the distillate tends to favour – sharp, cutting, mineral crispness, or filthy, earthy, burned rubber. This is certainly in the latter camp, but has elements of the first throughout its fairly complex arrival and delivery. I can really see this one dividing the crowd. I enjoy it’s unusual combinations of aromas and flavours, but I’d understand perfectly if you didn’t. Highly idiosyncratic.