Ledaig 13 Year (SMWS 42.52 "Wood Smoke Through a Porthole")

 

The Tobermory distillery on the Isle of mull makes both peated and unpeated whiskies. When they peat it, they release it under the imprint Ledaig ("Let-chick"). And that's what this is: a single cask bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") from Ledaig, aged 13 years in refill ex-bourbon casks, peated, and served up at a delicious 58.3% ABV. Nicknamed "Wood Smoke Through a Porthole." 

The bottle's tasting notes are interesting: "A cloud of coal dust and icing sugar mixed with salty sea air above lemon meringue pies, scorched fruit kebabs and honey glazed pork chops." Wow! 

Well, the previous Tobermory I had from SMWS was filed under "oily and coastal" and met both of those descriptions. Let's investigate how the peated Ledaig version comes across:

Nose: This takes time to uncurl itself in the glass. It's complicated even on the initial nosing: leather, salt, quite a mild peat note, smoke, charcoal, and a rich vanilla note. Like sticking your nose in a vanilla pod from Madagascar: very rich, almost savory vanilla. The nose is delicious - sea elements take precedence, as you might expect from a peated Scotch from the Isle of Mull, but it's well balanced by umami and sweet notes in equal measure. 

With more and more time in the glass, or with a splash of water, the nose resolves into a briny, sweet, bright seafood-forward experience, which sounds strange but is actually quite delectable. Lemon-butter catfish, maybe. Shrimp. Oysters. But always with a vanilla sweetness underpinning everything. 

Mouthfeel: Thick, oily, silky. 

Palate: The palate is rich. Full of sweetness and alcohol, I get notes of citrus, orchard fruit, sea salt in large quantities, a nice umami "steak" note (hard to explain: but a strange meatiness that is very pleasant), and a lot of oak smoke. So this is the "wood smoke" from the nickname! It anchors the development of the flavors. 

The 13 years in the cask really show in the palate - it's in that nice middle ground that appropriately-aged Scotches sometimes have: not too brash, not too old, but a good lively middle age where it still has a lot to say, but has had time to find the expressions it needs to say them. 

Finish: Salt, wood smoke, oak tannins all comes through, bound in a general sweetness. Medium-length finish. 

Verdict: This is interesting! It's like turning the official 10 year bottling all the way up: heavy sweetness, heavy peat and wood smoke, powerful delivery, lots of things going on. If you like Island whisky, Tobermory/Ledaig generally, or are just curious about rich coastal flavors, this is for you. Recommended. A great late-night dram.