Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Tobermory.
Bottler: Decadent Drinks.
Region: Islands (Mull), Scotland.
ABV: 52%. Cask strength.
Age: 29 years. Distilled in 1995. Bottled in 2024.
Cask type: Refill sherry butt.
Price: $111 USD for 200mL (bottle split, full cost $388 for 700mL.)
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 8 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder (consistent throughout the bottle.)
Nose: tons of cola, raspberries, varnish in the background, black plums, ashy char, water brings out creosote and a hint of latex paint.
Palate: huge and oily ~ still more cola, charcuterie meats, soot, red apples with their skins, more raspberries.
Finish: very long ~ wood spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, sooty smoke, apple cider, quince, tannins.
Conclusion: The Sponge’s reputation, particularly with refill sherry bottlings, meets high expectations here. This is the oldest Ledaig I have tried to date, and honestly I think I expected the peat to round off more with nearly three decades of maturation, but that’s not the case: it’s a smoky, sooty beast, beautifully marrying cask and spirit together with plenty of power and clarity throughout. In balance with the smoke are some really nuanced and bewitching fruit notes (the quince in the finish is especially lovely.) It’s perhaps not as complex a whisky as I might have expected at its age—the direction is quite singular—yet it’s entirely convincing in what it aims to do. Lovely stuff, if I could afford more of it I could see a hole in the bottle developing very easily.
Final Score: 90.
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 