Ledaig 18 1994 Gordon & MacPhail Exclusive for Co-op Wines & Spirits

Thanks to /u/devoz for this sample.

Yadda yadda yadda Toronto Whisky Society meeting blah blah blah Ledaig etcetera etcetera etcetera someone lost an eye.

It’s pronounced Le-Check.

Ledaig 18 1994 Gordon & MacPhail Exclusive for Co-op Wines & Spirits is, for lack of a better term, a lost gem that makes me want to move out West. You see, Co-op Wines & Spirits had this bottling made a few years ago. Sadly the people of Alberta missed out on it, or weren’t told about it (which is why reviews are important), there were some left.

And thus when one of us went through Alberta and were able to pick up a bottle for Devoz, it was picked up.

This is an 18 year old bottle of Ledaig at a good price. So my negative Nelly reaction is: What’s wrong with it?

Let’s see.

Price: $85 CAD at CO-OP Wines & Spirits

Region: Island

Distilled: 1994

Bottled: 2012

Cask No: 5

Abv: 53.9%

Colour: 5Y 9/8

Nose: Mango, peach, yogurt, cocoa, brine, cereal, brown sugar

Wait, this is different. Time to stand up straight. Then sit back down. I’m drinking, not giving a speech dammit.

The peat on this one has changed completely to cocoa. There’s a real cereal element that pairs well with the brown sugar. And the fruit and yogurt? Totally new way of growing the funk.

As opposed to just playing it, of course.

Taste: Peanut, nectarine, oak, tobacco, candy corn, pine

Nutty. I wouldn’t guess this was Ledaig at all. The tobacco isn’t my favourite, and the pine element reminds me of a younger malt.

That said, it connects to the nose with the fruit and nuttiness. I wish there was some cereal element, however it hasn’t lost me yet.

Finish: Tobacco, black cherry, cereal, smoke, pepper, nectarine, cinnamon

Long finish, and here I’m actually liking the different smoke elements. The cereal is back, the smoke is somewhat raw, however there’s elements of a Autumn dram like no other.

And no, I’m not lowering my score since this was reviewed in Summer. I have ice cream in winter, I can drink this when it’s slightly warm out.

Quite impressed with the black cherry element that starts it all off.

Conclusion: This was quite the good cask. Yes, there’s issues with it. I’m not a tobacco fan, so my review is lower than if I was. It has some youth/alcohol burn on the taste that can be distracting, and sadly increases with time.

If you bought this wanting a big peat experience, it’s not that. It’s more like a tobacco experience. The finish was one of my favourites of the night. The nose is surprising. Honestly would have been much higher score if the taste stood up more, however that’s just one aspect, and I think most people would love this.

83/100

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