Ledaig 18 Year Old

In a word: Braw!

2nd October 2020

Nice and woodsy. Complex enough for an 18 year old.

13th July 2020

Sweet, smoky, good finish. Not much to dislike about this beauty.

13th June 2020

SHERRY before peat, definitely. Soft light marzipan/ almonds. Dry walnut shells, dusty malt, dusty bourbon note. Leather. chamomile, dry peppermint / mint, cooling eucalyptus / camphor. Oak nuts, oak forest. Pine resin. Orange peels, dates, peach, apricot, lemon peels. Lemon grass. Soft minerality. Chestnuts. Ginger, nutmeg. Floral: daisies, cherry blossoms, lilies, rose petals. East Asian type cooking spices. SAFFRON. cloud berries, rhubarb and gooseberries. Fresh cut grass note. Hay. Nectarines, dried. Anise. Carrots, fresh out of the ground, crisply aromatic. HORSE RADISH. Cocoa powder. Touch of fresh banana peels (still on the fruit that is). Smoked herring. Black pepper. Pepper steak, bell peppers. Ferns, green shrubs, the pungent scents of early summer burgeoning verdure. Garlic bread sticks. Red and dry black licorice. Balsamic vinegar spices.
Cola cubes. Mixed barbecue spices. Hint of cardamon. White pepper. Curry rice.
With air and a drop of water, vanilla, white grapes.
- Rancio.

Aromatic sort of leather shoe store note, that soft elegant leather you find in an Ardbeg 10: New car smell. Peat and sherry equalize and balance each other out after some time.
Smoked meat peatiness as the bottle gets air. Smoked bacon.
Not fishy or particularly tarry; only mildly coastal.

- A noticeable but not overwhelming presence of sulphur, which some people have issues with. And it must be said, there's quite an in-your-face wet cardboard note. A drop of water and especially aeration mitigates this: with enough air a distinct tiger balm note half takes over, then also barbecue spice, salt & pepper potato chips.

It is clear that the Tobermory distillers have attempted to mask a somewhat rough spirit with sherry here, but it will, with a lot of patience, turn into a properly gratifying experience.

20th May 2020

Exceptional, especially at this price.
The nose hints at a oily, punchy dram such as Ardbeg Uigeadail but this 18 delivers so much more. A full, yet subtle and complex whisky with just the right amount of peatiness, enough to satisfy any peat lover.
A new favourite perhaps?

6th May 2020

Mhmhmhmh e ancora mhmhmhmh qualcosa di eccezionale questi maltatori dell'isola di Mull sanno il fatto loro. Un 18enne eccezionale. Ottimoooooo.

7th August 2019

Moist, sugar-sweet on a back ground of peat. Leather after taste.

1st February 2019

Surprised anyone can criticise an excellent, peaty yet smooth drink. My wife and I are always looking for one we both like and this fits the bill, just a great drink!

19th January 2019

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