Ledaig 2012 9 Year Bordeaux Wine Cask Matured

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #18 Nose: Sooty peat smoke, smoked meats, smoked red berries, mint and a waxy menthol or eucalyptus aroma. There is an interesting balance between smoke, mellow red wine and bright distillate notes and there is a touch of feints on the nose. Palate: A very fine, mellow smoky arrival with cherries, red berries and malt balanced against pepper, sweet cinnamon and brine. In the development I found cherry nougat, cherry chocolate cake, honey, tropical fruit and salted chocolate-covered caramels. The texture is excellent – lightly creamy and just a little oily but also dry. Finish: Medium/Long: Sweet red fruit, a little demure spice and lingering warm peat smoke. Delicious whisky. I don’t know what more I can say. I finished my tasting dram (not too quickly!) and immediately asked for a refill. I never do that but on this occasion I could not hold back. The pours were a little meagre and I needed MORE. I avoided this when it first appeared because the price seemed a bit steep for a "mere" 9 year old whisky, and with the excellent 18 being just a few dollars more I could not see the point. Of course, I had overlooked the fact that this is cask strength and also full Bordeaux maturation, not just a finish. Don’t compare it to anything in the Ledaig core range, think of it in the context of IB cask-strength expressions and it makes sense. By the time I got to the sales stall at the exit to the show this was sold out, but fortunately I was able to order a bottle from another source. Recommended. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 08 October 2022). Nose: Bonfire, burnt wood, port, slightly funky, petrol/Kerosene Palate: Spicy, black pepper, wood smoke, saline, paraffin wax, black cherries, seaweed, almond/walnut, chocolate Finish: Long finish. Salt/saline, Black Forest cake, light peat, dark cherries. Drying aftertaste, light spices - clove and allspice Matured in European oak casks that previously held Bordeaux red wine. This is a very cake-y whisky. Lots of dried wood and soft sweet peat, cherry and chocolate. Black Forest whisky! Pretty decent - dry - dram. Came first out of the six drams, with 33% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 93% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

Smells musty and rich, I smell the red wine more than any peat. Flavor is huge, aged wood, bitter wine tannins, then smoke on the tail. Tons of fire from the proof, but with the bitter and dark flavors I love it. It's almost 5 stars, all it's missing is body. It's medium at best, but with this much fire and flavor it needs to be richer to make it ideal. Still, absolutely fantastic.

Amazing. Beautiful peat whisky. Wine finish makes it just beautiful

Smokey, with hints of bbq. A bit of a burn but overall smooth