Review by: Raygun

A historical marker here, dating from the first year after Burn Stewart purchased and reopened Tobermory. They weren’t so strict about distinguishing Tobermory and Ledaig in the early days, and for whatever reason there are almost no Tobermory releases from that year. Maybe they ran mostly peated that year. In any case, this is definitely peated. There is some older Ledaig around from before the distillery closed in 1982, but this is the oldest I’ve tried. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Tobermory (Ledaig) 

Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail

Region/style: Islands single malt Scotch

ABV: 54.1%

Age: 28 years. Distilled on May 28, 1993 and bottled on July 5, 2021

Cask type: Refill sherry butt #703, 517 bottles

Color: 1.6 mahogany. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

Price: $389

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Nose: Some beachside grill, pretty typical of Ledaig, with a good bit of fennel and roasted mushrooms. Meatier than most Ledaig. Hoisin sauce with smoked duck. Gets pretty ashy. Worcestershire sauce and camphor.     

Palate: More herbal than the nose, with mint joining fennel fronds. Tea-smoked duck, a classic Sichuan dish. It’s not typically served with hoisin sauce, but this one is. There’s a big fruity side, too. Dates, tamarind sauce, and Chinese sour plums. Turns sweeter over time with some very interesting spice notes. Anise, cardamom, and brown sugar.   

Finish: Grape soda turns up. More hoisin sauce, not as much duck. Sour plums and tamarind sauce. There’s a char flavor, too. Pulled pork would be close. The fruit flavors linger, particularly plums and dates. Sweet and also meaty and spicy. Very complex.      

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Conclusion: Wow, another fantastic old Ledaig. Very different from the filthy beast of a handfill I reviewed a few months ago, but just about as compelling in its own way. Fruity, meaty, and spicy at the same time. Not as woody as one might expect for the age, but it’s developed great complexity. It’s a pricey one, but old peat is never cheap. Not actually a terrible value when considering the competition. Anyway, I’d say it’s worth it.

Score: 92

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)