Ledaig 2001 Fourth Secret Edition
Bottle Name: Ledaig 2001 Fourth Secret Edition
Distillery: Tobermory
Bottler: Whisky Sponge
Region: Islands Age: 20
Glass Weight: 489g
Long sold out – but with only 62 bottles produced in total, there wasn’t really much to go around of this Ledaig in the first place. Distilled in 2001 and then matured in a refill sherry hogshead for 20 years – we’re looking at one of those ‘quiet’ maturations given the formidable disgorged strength of 64.4%.
Nose: Rather reductive – marmalade and jammy berries joining a stiff coastal breeze, salinity, touches of medicinalness and rubber. Ah, but there’s more. Both citrus and stone fruits mingled in a salad together with graphite oil and exhaust fumes. It’s all exceptionally well-integrated and relaxed. Dilution reduces everything except the fruity core – which presents as well-aged, expressive and juicy.
Taste: Behold! The arrival manages to compile citrus-tinged jasmine tea with vinegar, before a powerful island smoke delivers sharp, citric and sweet floor cleaner and antiseptic wipes. Polish stone fruits follow and lead into engine oil and a sense of mezcal agaveness (not a word). Bold, brassy and I’m left thinking whether this is animal, vegetable, mineral?! The addition of water transposes the texture towards oiliness and waxiness and whilst it 64.4% wasn’t unapproachable, now we’re really dancing. Detailed and defined fruit juices are by a real sense of refined elder-stateman Ledaig smoky funk. Truly excellent.
Finish: Long with metholated oak, lip-numbing ABV (at cask strength), powdered granite, bright polished fruits and a fading slightly perverse feinty smoke.
Tremendous stuff. In amongst the madness there’s both clear maturity and a wonderfully fruit-driven character. But it’s when the edge is taken off through a touch of reduction that this really sings – and you’re likely still not dropping below 58% in order to achieve that juicy equilibrium. I’m 100% on a hunt for a bottle of this.
Review sample provided by Decadent Drinks
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