Ledaig 9 Year (2012) Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured

Review by: Raygun

Ledaig (and Tobermory) do pretty regular limited editions. They’ve done at least a couple of Bordeaux cask releases. This is the latest one, released in 2022. Ledaig: good; peat and red wine: good; what’s not to like here? Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes.

Distillery: Ledaig (Tobermory)

Bottler: Ledaig (Tobermory)

Region/style: Islands single malt Scotch

ABV: 56.8%. Cask strength. 

Age: 9 years. Distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2022. 

Cask type: Bordeaux red wine casks. Appears to be a full maturation. 

Color: 1.2 chestnut. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: There’s that Ledaig funky, earthy peat, along with some cherry glaze. Extra earthy here. Some forest, raspberries, pulled pork. A touch of pipe tobacco. 

Palate: Very much on the fruity side. Pulled pork with barbecue sauce. Raspberries, cherries. Deep earthy and foresty character here, too. Nice level of sweet and smoke. Very much a Ledaig. The sweetness is a bit of a surprise, when Bordeaux reds are very dry to me. 

Finish: Berries come out more. Still has the barbecue character. Normally Ledaig isn’t very meaty for me, but this is pulled pork all the way. Got some spice to it. With a slightly fruity barbecue sauce. Drinks very easily.  

Conclusion: Ledaig is so damn good. And consistent. One of my favorites. Very hard to go wrong with Ledaig, and this one doesn’t miss. Exactly what you’d expect from the tin: nice level of wine influence, and still quintessentially Ledaig. Not a particular surprise in any way, but it doesn’t need to be. Based on how quickly this glass disappeared, I think a bottle would go pretty fast as well. 

Buy a bottle? Ledaig is always a good choice. 

Final Score: 82

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
  • 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)

Published by Raygun

Unknown's avatar

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

Leave a comment