Ledaig 18 Year Old

BIG peat & smoke
I personally find this a little overpowering..
Whereas the Tobermory 21yo '96 cask (Douglas laing) is absolutely delicious. In fact so good i immediately tracked down another bottle (possibly the last one anywhere)
The ledaig 18 however is one seriously sophisticated smokey hit
I'm a fan of Laphroaig and Lagavulin, but this is another level.
This may seem blasphemous, but try a wee dram in a decent coffee, WOW. Seriously.
I also find warming the glass in the hand (and swirling the liquor to absorb the warmth) can make a HUGE difference to an impression

20th October 2018

Matured to perfection.

1st October 2018

Slow arrival with lots of fruitiness accompanied by spicy oak, smoked cured ham and some coastal character with a very long finish through. Lovely stuff... one of my favourites

26th April 2018

Gives the impression of having smoked a cigar.
Not for me...

22nd March 2018

I loved it, it rang every bell on the way down and had a very pleasant afternote, what I didn’t like was that I got my bottle personally at the distillery and it cost over £100! My next bottle I’ll get from you 👍🏻

8th March 2018

peat, smoke, leather. sofa king delicious

7th March 2018

Tobermory not generally my favourite distillery and I wasn't overwhelmed by the younger Ledaig and Tobermory expressions but I took a risk on this and I'm pleased with it. Comparable in price to the sherried Tobermory 15 (and similarly packaged) this is the better malt, by far, IMO (and I don't typically favour peated whiskies). Best thing I've had from this distillery - avoid the cheaper offerings and save up for this one.

Ian

5th March 2018

I tried it in a Cigar bar in Singapore; whiskeys usually costs a lot in Singapore but this one was on the higher end; ended up paying S$45 for 4cl; during one of my trip to Germany, bought a couple of bottles, every friend who has a taste for whisky simply fell in love with this. currently consuming my 4th bottle. It goes extremely well with Montecristo no. 2. Highly recommended; you can't possibly return to other whiskeys once you've tried it.

10th November 2017

Rather fond of this lovely drop

26th October 2017

I was gifted a bottle of the 18 and had no idea what to expect. Love(d) it. Didn't last too long. I've just seen what it costs and this doesn't surprise me but it's £20+ more than I'd typically spend. Worth it though. I'll be getting another bottle very soon.

2nd July 2017

People have written so much about excessive phenol and overbearing sweetness that i actually hesistated for a month... before actually buying a bottle. However, results were very much for my liking.
It is smooth and mature like any 18 yr old should be. It has some unique and clearly distinguishable character like Glenfarclas 15 does (another one of my favourites) AND it's quite smokey, which i'm very fond of. Great whiskey overall, though quite pricey

25th March 2017

I was so looking forward to this. After enjoying a few bottles of 10 year old and reading the reviews here I bought one. I could weep. This is almost undrinkable such is the level of cloying sweetness. Plus overall its very unbalanced and one dimensional. Its like drinking syrup with vodka added plus a wee touch of smoke. Bleh! I will stick to the 10 which is brilliant.

5th February 2017

This has so much character. Right out of the gate you know its something special. I love this.

28th January 2017

A sure fire winner for the father in law, he absolutely loves this whisky. Well done Ledaig for the great whisky and making an old man happy.

30th December 2016

Love the phenolic and herbal traits. Excellent.

13th November 2016

We skipped the jail in Inverary and went to the Whisky Shop instead. So glad we did! Among our many splendid finds and samplings was a nip-into-our luggage size of Ledaig 18. Very yummy and refreshingly different from our other peaty faves (from Islay, mostly). Opens quite nicely and the peppered and maritime botanical complexity is revealed with a drop or two of water. Will definitely be bringing home a bottle on our next visit.
Slaìnte Mhath!

5th November 2016

Nose: Strong medicinal alcoholic burn even after allowing bottle to breathe for three months. Sadly, this overshadows most everything aside from hefty peat smoke. Part phenolic, part bonfire quality. I was able to detect a small maritime sea note (sea weed?) beneath the smoke and alcohol - more subtle than a Talisker or Lagavulin 16 but it's there.

Taste: Smokey. Strong alcohol burn. Dry. Rather one dimensional. If I didn't know Ledaig 18 was only 46.3 ABV I would've guessed over 50.

Finish: Smokey. Alcohol burn. Dry. Medium-long.

Summary: As a fan of all things smokey, I'm an Islay fan. I had high hopes for Ledaig 18 but ultimately found it one dimensional and overly alcoholic even with a splash or two of water. Your mileage may vary. Still somewhat enjoyable for its smokey/sea quality. Beautiful bottle. Classy wooden box presentation.

21st September 2016

With sherry oak cask finish and peaty richness this single malt will blow you away. Don't heaitate

1st June 2016

I visited Tobermory in 2014 and loved the Ledaig. Smashing flavour with a super aftertaste. Laphroaig used to be my favourite peaty whisky...no longer...

9th January 2016

I definitely recommend Ledaig 18 yo to all who like peaty, salty and seaweedy whisky from the Scottish islands. Excellent and outstanding dram!

23rd December 2015

I do not profess to be a connoisseur of whisky but know what I like, and I particularly love the smokey flavour of this Ledaig. The description above does not do justice to this most satisfying single malt. Marvellous.

3rd December 2015