Off to the islands we go!

It’s Mull first for an 18-year-old Ledaig. Delighted to bottle another of these after a bit of a gap!

So, on the nose I find tarry peat smoke, vats of sea water, lanolin-heavy wool, black treacle, barbecued lemons … it’s Ledaig in other words! I also get a bit of coal tar, smoked almonds, waxed jackets and sweet BBQ sauce. These are all good things.

The palate feels sort of weighty and lively at the same time – salty and peaty, with lemon and lime syrup, shellfish stock and tar. Again, Ledaig! I also get some miso caramel, langoustines on the barby, kejap manis, and Fisherman’s Friends, before a long and very coastal finish.

These noughties batches of Ledaig are just impeccable spirit, and here it’s been matured for a decent time in a cask that’s done nothing more than add a thread of sweetness and allow some complexity to develop. Keeping it simple.

This ex-bourbon hogshead produced 239 bottles at a cask strength of 56.3% and they are available for £145 each.

Next up it’s a 15-year-old Jura. This is sort of the opposite of the last bottle in that I’m a Ledaig fanboy and a card-carrying Jura-sceptic. This one won me over though!

One the nose it gives an impression of being waxy and oily, with custard creams, banana, salty sea air, limestone, and a bit of smoky grist. I also get some weissbier, serrano ham, white flowers, mango chutney and orange boiled sweets.

The palate starts sweet and citrussy, with an oily texture. I get spiced orange, herbs, rye and a touch of eucalyptus. The development is long, slightly smoky, lemony and really quite salty. The aftertaste is lovely, with sweet citrus and touches of Ricola sweets.

There’s lots of character here, and a proper maritime feeling, but packed into a dram that feels fun and easy-going. The strength is perfect for this too. If you generally like Jura then you can’t go wrong, and if not then it may convince you! I really like it.

This bourbon barrel produced just 201 bottles at a cask strength of 52.8% and they are available for £82.50 each.

And…

…that’s it for now. Stay tuned for this year’s Christmas bottlings towards the end of November, and please do feel free to drop me a line if I can be of any assistance before then. Whisky matters only though, rather than – say – tricky tax queries or clues on 14 Across in the Times crossword.

Cheers!

David