Review by: TOModera
What was the occasion: I had poured a mystery sample for a few people awhile back. They are Ledaig fans, and in the process of collecting samples, I had found Ledaig to try.
Then the pandemic happened and I waited two and a half years to share them. Well that’s the reason for the other sample, this one came later, but you get the idea.
What whisky did we review? Ledaig 13 Old Particular Xmas Edition Douglas Laing is a special release single cask Ledaig that was finished with a Sherry butt.
Old Particular usually keeps the alcohol by volume to a lower amount for younger malts, however this whisky was an early Xmas present and didn’t go down that route. No high 40s this time! It was released along with three other special editions that I skipped, cause… well, take a look at the economy. I’m not spending money on a Dailuaine unless someone else has proven it’s amazing (and couldn’t get my hands on the other two).
What’s the distillery? Tobermory, where Ledaig is the heavily peated Scotch, is located on the Isle of Mull. Want to be more confused? The distillery was founded as Ledaig distillery in 1798, went through a lot of tough times of opening and closing, reopened in the 70s as Ledaig, but then at some point (which I can’t find) they changed the name to Tobermory, after the town that it was near.
What’s my bias? I love Ledaig. I’m not a fan of Tobermory. Also the distillery is a bit chaotic enough that some Ledaig is actually Tobermory, and vice versa, though that’s happening less and less. So I’m excited for this.
As for Dougie’s Old independent bottler? Much like we’ve all heard in our love lives, his daddy did it better. There was a time where all of my top scores were from the Old Malt Cask line. The Old Particular line hasn’t had as many amazing successes (and yes, I am counting the Xtra Old Particular line as a separate one).
Also it’s a sherry finished whisky. I won’t repeat what I’ve tried to say multiple times in the past about reviewing whisky, but finished whisky is, sadly, more often than not the attempt of a distiller to save a whisky that hasn’t aged well in its original cask.
On the other hand… I mean, while I’m a bitter, snobby dork who’s had too much whisky, sherry and peat works. It pays the bills. A finish could really help. It could be very good. And this is the Xmas edition! That’s a big thing, right? It’s not just tied into a holiday as a quick cash grab, right?
Right?
Distillery: Tobermory Distillery.
Bottler: Douglas Laing.
Region: Isle of Mull, Island, Scotland.
ABV: 58.5%.
Age: 13 years. Distilled in 2008. Bottled in 2021.
Cask type: Bourbon then Sherry Butt FInish.
Price: £100.
Color: 7.5Y 9/6
Nose: Cocoa, cranberry, butter, cedar, grassy
We’re off to a good start. Cocoa is an amazing flavour. I know, I know, chocolate is everywhere, but it’s everywhere because it’s so good. That’s why we’ve committed atrocities just to get it. Thus when something has that flavour, I’m happy about it, because I am totally human and enjoy popular human flavours.
That’ll get them off my trail. Good hit of woody/red fruit, but this is mostly just red and the Ledaig is most of what you taste.
Taste: Brown sugar, cinnamon, earthy peat, golden syrup
Okay, more of the sherry with some cinnamon, but again, no real strong, overpowering notes here. Also it’s missing those jammy/red fruit notes that we look to go along with Ledaig.
Not to mention, this is pretty clean. For those of you who have not encountered Ledaig and Tobermory, there’s a funk to them. Other distilleries have this as well: Campbeltown funk has been brought up, and many a keyboard warrior has typed up that it’s supposed to be in whisky, and is a sign of a proper amount of fermentation prior to distillation. I’m not totally sold either way, so I won’t ejaculate here about it.
That said, one of the things I enjoy quite a bit about Ledaig is that funkiness. Think parmesan or blue cheese or a variety of different beers; that’s the flavour, and it’s missing here. This tastes closer to a sweeter, younger Islay whisky in comparison.
Finish: Raspberry, algae, cinnamon, mushroom
Okay, a bit of the funk comes through at the end, with some earthiness/leafiness… wait, is that insulting to algae since they don’t have leaves? Whatever, fuck those simple cell fuckers.
I do enjoy the sudden pop of red fruit, more of the sherry, and the funk, don’t get me wrong. But it’s all like a kid doing their homework 2 hours before it’s due. The conclusion is all over the place and feels like someone’s quickly saying “oh, here’s the parts we forgot, can I have a C+?”.
Conclusion: Ledaig has a history of being dirty. This is the Disney version of Ledaig, and while it’s nice, not totally clean, it’s not really understanding why we like Ledaig. We want funkiness, we want it with peat, and we want some of the bright aspects too. This is a Ledaig that had a rough go of it.
Should you buy this? Yes, but not for the reasons I’d normally recommend. I’d say if you’re an Islay fan and want something to do sherry and peat together in a simple way, this does that, mostly, almost. There’s some aspects here that work.
Should you get it because you’re a Ledaig fan? No, you should save up for something else. This is too clean for Tobermory, misses some aspects of the reason you’d want a sherried Ledaig in the first place. All together it’s fine to sip on and enjoy, but should I have poured it blind for two hardcore Ledaig fans? No, not at all, that was super silly.
Final Score: 80
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.
Malt Runners 