A bottle I traded with Benny in 2017.

The bourbon barrel makes the dirty Ledaig fresh. Really love the ash in the finish. This is a example that young whisky can be very good!

Ledaig 8 yo 2005/2014 (53.3%, Whisky-Fässle, bourbon hogshead)
Colour: very white wine. Nose: very similar, of course, but this one’s
rather rounder, and has fewer notes of smoky mezcal. Big soot, ashes,
coal, tar, crushed sardines (paste), tarama… And a little vanilla. With
water: stays a bit soapy for a long time, and then everything gets
better again. Smoked vegetables, gherkins, olives and a massive
sootiness. Mouth (neat): everything’s perfect in this one. Perfect
brine, lemon juice, smoked fish, olives, smoked tea, more lemon juice…
With water: balanced lemon, salt and kippers. What’s not to like?
Finish: same for a long time. Comments: it’s infuriating that these
Ledaigs could be so good when so young. That’s both unjust and unfair.
Oh well… But watch out, I’ve found some flawed ones as well in the past.
SGP:456 - 87 points.

Whiskyfun.com

Nose : This is a peated whisky for sure, there’s a lot of it around. It’s not the medicinal coastal peat you get from Islays, but it’s more farmy and reeky. I was discussing the nose with Sjoerd, and he mentioned Compost which was on the money. It feels young to me, under 12 for sure.

Palate: Palate is kicking and quite fierce, but not in terms of ABV. lots of peat and smoke going on here, with dry ash, and mossy casks. Not getting any fruity notes, but maybe some malt to add a bit of sweetness to the otherwise tart palate.

Finish: Smoke, ash and pepper.

This has to be my favourite whisky so far (or #2), I really like the Ledaig peat and the reek and compost here. I’m a fan. Not very complex, but lovely IMHO.

http://whiskyisrael.co.il/2014/12/10/blind-tasting-competition-day-4-ledaig-8-yo-whisky-fssle/

 

Nose on a beautiful lemon and smoke peat. Identical mouth, well integrated alcohol. Final very long. A bit monolithic but very good and efficient.

(drunk in parallel of 2013) straw color, nose less expressive, a little less peaty, more lemony, less farmer. Similarly in the mouth, here too the alcohol is perfectly integrated, much more iodized than the 2013, with shells, seaweeds, oysters, close to a Caol Ila or a Bowmore of about twenty years, a lot of finesse, a little less peat. It is older, less on pear, more on lemon and grapefruit. About as long. It seems a little better than the 2013, thinner, more complex.

This young Ledaig promises what I imagine. He is not very complex. He does not have to be. It is fruity and on the palate and especially on the finish it reminds me very much of a Laphroaig. The nose is dominated by peat, smoke and coastal flavors. The fruitiness appears in the finish. The price / performance ratio is very fair! So all in all, a good all day dram to slip away!