1997 Ledaig 21 Year Old "Chieftain's" K&L Exclusive Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Unchillfiltered Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

One of the great peated whiskies of Scotland, but sadly often overlooked. This particular cask is an incredible rarity and smells of apple crisp and quality tobacco burning hot. Cooked fruits mingle with caramel, burnt orange peel, nutmeg, a sprinkling of seasalt and a faint background of iodine and herbs. A bit of water and it opens into more of a saddle shop complexity of leather and oil. The savory components make this a perfect whiskey for deep contemplation. It's more subtle than many an Islay dram. A dream for any lover of island malts. Add to the exquisite nature of the whisky itself that Chieftain's is no longer in the independent bottling business and this is sure to become a collectors item.

This cask of Ledaig from Tobermorey Distillery is expressive, interesting and inviting. Without water there are smoke, malt, and a hint of mineral-like flavors. With a little water it opens up and comes together. In the nose there is smoke with aromas of brine and malt. In the mouth, the smoke, malt, and brine flavors create a single malt that is delicious and lively. This cask of Ledaig is something to sip and think about.

This dram from Ledaig was extremely robust. The aromas from the glass dominated the room with iodine, tanning leather, baker’s chocolate and preserved cherry. I got an undertone of funk mixed with the iodine, which dissipated with time and caused me to revisit the glass a few times. The palate still exhibited signs of iodine detected in the nose but added in pencil shavings and peppered jerky. After the addition of water, sweet schezuan peppers and cherries appeared but for a brief moment. As expected from the nose, the finish was long and reminded me of fruity Korean beef jerky.

This absolutely gorgeous Ledaig is going to easily qualify as one of the best buys of the year. It's hard to argue that Ledaig isn't one of the most exciting spirits coming out of Scotland these days, but the distillery bottlings are getting more and more expensive. The Tobermory Distillery has also been closed for the last two years, doesn't do anything to ease the price pressures of this small operation. Regardless of the incredible price compared to distillery bottlings, this cask will almost certainly be a total sleeper. Not because it lacks merit in any sense, but simply because it's not as flashy or obvious as the rest of the line up from Chieftain's. Nonetheless, for those who take the plunge they'll be rewarded with one of the most complex whiskies in our portfolio this year. A nose of smoldering cigars and high-end soy sauce. It's not so abruptly peaty on the nose, but deeply umami with wide range of savory aromas that make you instantly salivate. The sherry is definitely there, but we're on the sweet roasted orange peel side of the spectrum rather than the raisins and roasted nuts. On the palate the saltiness starts to take over and definitely more obvious peat. Smoked fish, smoked herbs, smoked meats, salty, dense sooty and savory. Some dried citrus, nut butter and sweet barrel spice to balances out the absurdity of it all. This one may not be for everyone, but it's goddamned delicious and absolutely unique.