Ledaig 10 Year (2008) Archives Butterflies from the USA

Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Tobermory

Bottler: Archives

Region: Island

Age: 10 Year. Distilled on February 2nd, 2008. Bottled on October 30th, 2018.

Cask Type: Hogshead

Cask Number: 700001

ABV: 54.90% Cask Strength

Color: 0.1, White Wine. Natural Color and Non-Chill Filtered.

Nose: Light smokey peat. It’s slightly sweet and savory. I’m reminded of a smoked whitefish dip I had once. Smoked sugar and the smell of burning orange wood wrap this up.

Palate: At full strength, it’s very much drinkable but also a tad closed off. The only thing I get is note of smoked malt. With some water, it does open up a bit but I wasn’t able to quite get this to really unravel. I get a smoked fish dip again. There’s a bit of Stevia with the a cooling factor. A bit of mineral water pops in as well.

Finish: Incredibly, incredibly long. There’s a mix of sugary sweet green fruits up front in the form of muscat grapes, a bit of maesil, and some green apples to boot. There’s a little bit of smoke that remains on the tongue afterwards, though there’s a lot more of it in your breath (at least according to the wife). A slightly savory note and umami note comes through which reminds me of white soy sauce and bonito flakes. Vanilla icing pops in at the very end, before it all clears up.

Conclusion: A few days ago, /u/b1uepenguin mentioned that this Ledaig bottling by Archives was his favorite from the distillery. Having had some, I have to say I absolutely agree. The nose and palate are nice, though a tad simplistic, with smoked fish dip and some sugar. The finish though, is perhaps one of the best I’ve ever had. Starting with the sweet orchard fruits and ending with the savory and umami notes, each sip seemingly left behind more and more flavor. Absolutely delicious. I just wish I had a little more to see if there really isn’t more in the palate to unearth!

Final Score: 88.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

Published by zSolaris

Unknown's avatar

Home is where the corn is! Or at least that's what I told the wife before moving her from sunny Southern California to the Midwest anyway. She doesn't share my love of scotch, the drink, but has been incredibly supportive of my little wander down the rabbit hole. We do both share a love of Scotch, our dog, though (she named him, I swear!). He's the cutie in the profile pic.

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