Kale and smoked mettwurst in whisky form. Weird, but very independent and interesting, plus delicious. The whole thing is complemented by a memory of mushrooms and red fruits. I like it.

Nose: Dirty smoke, full cannon Barbecuesauce, I have never tasted in a whisky. Boiled beef with cranberries, cherries with steak, salt, red grits. Due to the strong grill associations, I have to constantly think of grilled pasta noodles. Dark forest, earthy, a little musty, in the forest itself the grill because it was so nice again stoked and again red fruit as a dessert with sea air in the face. Over time, it becomes fruity: orange, overripe peach, currant, citrus and a bit of iodine and the wine barrel can be clearly identified after a long smell.

Mouth: very pleasant mouthfeel, sweet, chocolaty, then an onset I would have expected something stronger. Chocolate, spicy, orange, chai tea, latte, biscuit, no more barbecue, but the smoke stronger.

Departure: smoke, roasted aromas, dark chocolate, almonds, spice, hardly any fruitiness, the smoke remains dominant and lingers for a long time until it is replaced by oak and chocolate.

Goil! Really great filling, could have minimal more bums. The barbecue sauce is really crass and gives it a nice unique selling point. I liked that very much.

Ledaig 15yo (Distillery Exclusive 2018) 53.8% WID 116506 vs. Ledaig 17yo 2001/2018 59% Murray McDavid WID 117252

Both have the somewhat idiosyncratic - I like him - Ledaig Rauch in their noses. However, they are a little different in terms of expression.
The smoke on the 15yo is a bit more lively and maritime.
The 17yo is more sedate and spicier. Is probably also due to the age and the stronger barrel influence.
In addition, the 17yo looks almost Christmassy. Fruit cake, cloves. Leather too. The smoke is relatively subtle. Interestingly, the malt becomes a bit tart with water.
The 15yo is fresher. The fruits tend to go in the yellow direction with some citrus fruit. With smoked cheese with herb rind. With water, more sweetness and fruit comes through.
The mouthfeel of the 17yo now resembles a dry red wine. I rarely like normal whisky, but here I find it suitable. I find the notes from the nose here, too, only with this dry, slightly sour mouthfeel, some spice / sharpness.
The 15yo is sweeter in the mouth than the 17yo. Again "yellow". It also has a slightly vinous mouthfeel, but much more subtle than the 17yo. The smoked cheese is now more like grilled meat with herb marinade.

So the winner for me is the 17yo. It seems somehow more mature to me. Not necessarily more balanced, as the wine barrel is already quite dominant. Strangely enough, I don't find it annoying with the malt, although I'm actually not that big fan of whisky from the wine barrel.
The 15yo doesn't do a bad job and I like it too, but it doesn't knock me out of my socks either. I would prefer to use the original 18 bottle. It has more to offer.

Heavy nose. Baconous smoke with a slight sweetness.
Tasty very cool. Maritime notes and a warm camp fire smoke that stays in the mouth for a long time.
Much sweeter with water, but still the campfire. An incredibly great malt!