Ledaig SMWS 42.21 “Ploughman’s on the beach”

Thanks to /u/devoz for this sample

This is a continuation of my ongoing series that I’m calling “Scotch Malts, Wife’s Selection”, in which my wife goes through my backlog of SMWS (Scotch Malt Whisky Society) samples that I haven’t reviewed yet, pours them blind, and then I review it blind.

If I’m at a pub, I’ll order a Ploughman’s. Even though I’m typically concerned with the quality of them. Because some places think that being light on the cheese, or not including a soft roll with it is okay as long as you get extra pickle. And let’s be honest, extra pickle doesn’t make up for cheese.

Unless you’re lactose intolerant. But your hatred of milk may stem from your childhood, so maybe be more open minded, okay?

All of this leads me to Ledaig SMWS 42.21 “Ploughman’s on the beach” and makes me wonder: Have they included too much of the beach elements? Is there enough Stilton? Is there too much pickle? Will the bread be crunchy or soft?

Let’s see, shall we?

Price: Sold out

Region: Island

Date Distilled: October 2006

Age: 9 years

Cask Type: Refill barrel

Outturn: 216

Abv: 59.4%

Colour: 10Y 9/4

Nose: Freshly planted flowers, peanuts, limes, butter, salted melon

Floral.

At the beach.

With a lunch that is made up of stinky cheese and meats.

Okay, guess I can’t make fun of the name before. There goes my setup, SMWS tasting group who may have randomly said it.

Floral, nutty, and fruity. If anything, I’m getting an odd Mojito vibe from this. So much so it made me want a Mojito after the fact.

Taste: Lemon cheesecake, ketchup chips, caramel

And it changes tack. It goes to a sour flavour, the acidity increases. That’s nice.

Then it goes all ketchup chips which doesn’t work the same. It falls short with those two things, which goes against one another.

It’s almost like you’re trying to have dessert while having the off flavour chips and then some caramel. It’s interesting, just not my thing.

Finish: Brine, caramel, smoked brisket, lime zest

There’s a salt finish here where I think the name comes from. And some meat, which I think is where the entire idea of the lunch.

And it’s nice. Way better than the taste. Almost makes up for it.

Conclusion: Really comes off with odd notes that seem to be all over the place. I enjoy the nose, however it may be a bit of a shock to anyone who is a fan of names being accurate or Ledaig. It does have those lime elements.

The reason I thought this was a young Ardmore is due to the low amounts of peat elements and the earth forward notes. There’s some lime, some meat, and it’s nice. Save for the taste, which is a terrible idea but good execution.

It’s an odd dram. Try before you buy, and if it scratches the right itches, go for it.

78/100

Guess: Ardmore

Actually: Ledaig SMWS 42.21 “Ploughman’s on the beach”

Scotch review #805, Island review #94, Whisky Network review #1315