Tobermory

10 years

Comment by

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Thomas Widter

My tasting experience is a vastly different one from the one already on this page, which is why I would like to share it.The first tasting brought a sense of harshness, almost like some of the cheaper blended whiskies carry with them - along with a strange taste, somewhat sweet but not quite there. But having had the bottle opened for a while, this Tobermory started growing and growing in a way I have not experienced more radically (well, maybe with an Ardbeg once). It is clearly a Whisky from the islands, as much as it is flowery where the others are salty and fragrant where those are more distinctly down to earth. It has developed a roundness that is spectacular - full of both wind and consistency. I fall in love with that greenish bottle over and over again...

Ledaig

Tobermory

1972

Tobermory

Wilson & Morgan, Sherry wood 1995

Tobermory

Daily Dram Ledaig 8 yo

Tobermory

Golden Cask 1996

Tobermory

34 years

Tobermory

10 years

Colour: Old gold
Nose: I like it! Ripe fruit and concentration. Apricot nectar. Kiwi jam. Fruity and something like warm cake pulled out of the oven. Genoese hot. Savarin with pineapple. Many wood extracts. Vanilla ice cream with banana, cinnamon ... Very appetizing. Also something oily. Candle wax. Linseed oil.
Taste: Does not betray the nose. Even more spice, perhaps (cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla), and the same bawdy pastry and fruit. An American new oak? Non chill filtered whisky anyway, and the alcohol percentage is located in the lower range. This does not prevent the sensations in the mouth to be good. Fat and tastefully. Sweet and creamy, but maintained by a small acidity that avoids heaviness.
Final: Decline on the rose petal. Hurry! I need another sip!
Comment: A very nice malt, very consensual (and for once this is not a criticism), which by its "easy drinkable character" will satisfy any gourmand, experienced amateur or beginners.

Nose: There is a slight smell of somewhat decomposed organic waste. (like when you peel an apple and you leave the peels overnight in open air) mixed with used motor oil, iodine and algae. It is a bit of walnut, a touch of lemon and aspirin as well as porridge and baked pear.
Mixed with of all this, I also have a strong smell of chalk.
Everything is very strange but well balanced and not as unpleasant as my words do suggest.
Taste: Very lemony. Sweet / acid with some spices (cinnamon, sage, thyme). Chalk still survives everything.
Smoky, somewhat lemony finish. Next comes several spices and a slight astringency always mixed with lemon. After a moment some motor oil and iodine appear mixed with a highly aromatic vanilla.

The nose starts with a great sensation of heady mix of flavors, cereal, floral scent with a small sea smell to top it off. Very nice and bright. With aeration, it is a very nice balance between the wood slightly influenced by sherry and barley malt that will take over. This very interesting balance nonetheless remains precarious throughout the aeration, sherry dominate, bringing this whisky to rancio, chocolate, red fruit (currants) and almond flavors. Instead, the cereal may, in turn, bring the nose to more heady notes (lemon), fruit (orange peel) and herbaceous (grass clippings). All remaining remarkably balanced between the wood and the grain without paying too much ever to one or other of these two, making everything very nice, helped by a well integrated rate of alcohol . Great job.
The mouth is round, almost sweet. It started a hint of fresh sweet (fruit salad) before going on more woody and cereal flavors, like chocolate or malted barley. Once again, everything stays balanced, readily going to cut grass, even if the mouth lacks some precision, unlike the nose. The rate of alcohol, it seems hard, is not provided disturbing. It also helps with the roundness of whisky.
The finish stays on the same aromas of grain and wood, showing hints of chocolate milk before a change of register and heading to the flavors of lemon and smoke.
In conclusion, a very well balanced whisky. A very nice nose, the rest being a little below, still covered by this fine balance between the grain and wood.

Color: Gold
Nose: Discreet, refined and on woody notes, hints of sulfur .. On cooling, the sulfur also disappears just like the wood the wood. They leave room for pastry fruit, makes me think of a "tarte amandine". And more bizarrely, some notes of dried meat that makes me think of "Schmackos".
The dried extracts are reminiscent of dry hay.
Taste: spicy, fresh and woody. It is much more powerful than the nose. In the background, I feel a sweet taste but it's hard to know what it is ... Maybe the tree sap. But not sure at all.
Finish: Quite long on a prickly mouth back in and still the same wood of the nose and mouth but this time more pronounced. And the same hay as dry extracts of the nose.

Nose: gentle, mineral, fruit, cereal, clear notes of sherry (or Porto / Banyuls), burnt wood, powdery side also. Grapeseed. Seems complex but potentially affected by an unwelcome dilution in my opinion.
Palate: custard, cereal, a hint of cherry, a little dry
Final: smoothly tapered, slightly salty

N: pear, white chocolate, pepper, licorice, toffee, precise, lightweight metal dust and not unpleasant, intoxicating nose.
M: chocolate, smoked ham, hot and not balanced far from the nose
F: short, honeysuckle, salinity.

On the nose, light fruity, fresh, a little chocolate, smells a little like steam mussels in white wine. On the palate, quite soft, light fruity, a little mustard, grassy, Mirabelle. Notes on a bit winey finish.

Nose: quince
Mouth: fruity notes of vetiver
Final: tingling in the extension of the mouth

Color: Yellow gold.
Nose: 1 nose: peat and a t sour / acid ouch that irritates the nostrils, but that fades quickly. Then a bit of wax and mineral, unpeeled raw potato . Some slightly tart notes of fruit and pastry. Butter too. A little almond powder.
A bit of water revives the nose, the same notes, but more expressive, more pleasant.
Taste: sweet, very progressive, somewhat faded, oily notes, quite similar to the nose. Becomes a bit alcoholic after a while.
There too, a few drops of water have a rather positive effect. No revolution in the sensations, but it is both better melted and slightly more expressive.
Finale: Quite surprisingly, a wave of almond powder emerges from who knows where, then gradually diminishes. Nice length.
The water removes the almond powder, leaving only a slightpeaty unflattering impression. Surprisingly, the finish lasts longer. Leaves an unpleasant bitterness on the tongue.

Nose: Immediately on the New Spirit, for me a whisky ot less than10y. Vanilla and honey. After a few minutes rest, still this new make presence.
Taste: Creamy, on cereals, creme brulee, coffee bean, not very expressive, confirms the feeling that this is a young whisky.
Finish: Quite long, still creamy and somewhat vegetal, raw vegetables appetizers. A hint of peat?

Nose: Light and fresh, at first a grassy profile , with hints of malt. Then fruit, apple appears.
Palate: The attack is sweet, creamy, slightly fruity. The malty notes are still present, with honey this time. Gradually the mouth becomes hot, spices appear, especially pepper.
Finish: Quite long on the pepper with a certain freshness.

Straw color.
Light nose. Yellow fruits and white fruits. Vanilla (slightly woody). A little honey. Some cereals. Not a profile that I adore.
Tastes a little watery. Cereals. Wood. Slightly sweet.
Final is rather short. Malt. Woody. Slight bitterness.

Color: Gold
Nose: nice touches of toasted almonds. It continues on the smell of white wine. A very fresh whisky on menthol and lemon touches and honey reduction. Light smoke and sulfur.
Mouth: we start on the nougatine, some woody bitterness. Slight taste of vanilla. Difficult to define.
Final: average with a slight bitterness.

The first nose evokes a distant peat, with notes of burnt rubber and flint. Ventilation highlights the fireplace and honey. A more prolonged ventilation developed this range to a fruity aqueous based pear.
On the palate, the attack is dry with alcohol and yellow fruits, peach and apricot and grows on peat, liquorice, ginger and spices from nice, well enhancing the set. The finish is dominated by the bitterness of licorice, a little peat and alcohol.
Medium length, low-intensity, spices appear with yellow fruit, peat and then gradually disappears, leaving us with a background of spices and parsley.

Appearance: Riesling, wide legs moderately fast flowing
Nose: slightly to moderately intense, fairly well integrated alcohol (is remarkable for alcoholic freshness), vegetables, grappa and vanilla veil of smoke after 45 minutes of aeration the notes of grappa and legume decrease in favor of a note of malt / sugary cereals
Taste: mild to medium blend of acidity and bitterness, vegetables, grappa
Finish: short, hot (alcohol)
Conclusion: A whisky that does not match my malty preferences.

A nose like I hate it in whisky. It is not obvious to describe but it reminds me of plants that have soaked in a plastic bag in the sun, decorated with grain notes and rubber, covered with a veil of dust (chalk?).
The palate is much more acceptable, sweetened with a touch acid and mainly focused on the cereal.
The finish is not special.

Color: Gold
An unpleasant odor reminding of insecticide ant powder from my childhood ... I usually describe this smell as the smell of yeast.
Relatively uncomplicated despite some fruit and chocolate aromas that seem to draw as a watermark.
The palate is quite aggressive and more complex than the nose was. Acidity gives it a dominant relief but fails to provide truly fun. It is far from being unpleasant despite the slight discomfort caused by a moderately controlled alcohol.
The final starts rather powerfully to fall after a few brief moments and only leaves the memory of some sweet overtones.

Nose: Wow, disconcerting, very cool at first then opens on notes of marine iodine, seafood Then hints of citrus appear with aeration. Alcohol is discrete. Palate: Less surprising than the nose, rather light, one finds the freshness found in the nose, and alcohol is always fairly quiet. Final short enough, too bad.

Color: Amber
Nose: The nose marked by sherry notes with high sulfur.
I do not like sulfur in a whisky but after 30 min of ventilation a few other flavors were discovered behind but, you still have to shop around.
So we have then caramel, sweet notes, some spice and orange.
Palate: The palate does not show sulfur, thank you.
But there is an astringency due to wood and not much more.
Short finish.

Tobermory

Ledaig 10 years

Marine nose with iodine, pear and some new make, fireworks powder. There's a farmy side of seaweed and lemon.
It is well melted, powerful, slightly aggressive and bold.
Taste: Lemon, oily, sweet, spicy (no trace of wood). There are also mint tea (a lot) and licorice. The whole is melted.
Finish: greasy smoke and lemon galore. It is sweet and spicy (still no trace of wood). There is mint, lots of tea, licorice, vegetables and traces of exotic fruit and grapefruit.
It's cool and sickly at once.

Nose: probably Islay (Ardbeg?). Lots of peat, although fat and medicinal. Organic soil, dry grass,
Palate: Warm, alcohol although present but not disturbing at all ... Many peat. A little pepper, fresh mint. Palace faithful to the nose.
Very long finish on good fat peat.

N: smoked ham, cold ashes, dark chocolate, intense, accurate, balanced white fruit.
B: very nice mouth similar to the nose but with greater amplitude. lining the mouth, slight edge burning, bitter chocolate.
F: long, white fruit, dark chocolate, very broad, balanced and super nervous whisky.

Color: pale gold
Nose: peat like Talisker's with these notes of iodine and pepper.
Monolithic but pleasant enough.
Peat, iodine and some citrus in the background.
Palate: The palate is more by islay, starts strong on peat, the cold ashes and earthy notes.
It was a bit of lemon in the background as well as as iodine and seaweed.
Finish long enough on peat and a slight astringency.

Nose: mineral, iodine / peaty, sweet
Taste: greasy texture really nice, sweet, consistent with the nose,
Finish: quite long on a dry peat and a slightly pepper

Color: light gold
Nose: Strong, slightly peaty, slightly metallic. Well farmer thereafter. With aeration, yellow fruits and a little taste of 'Petit Beurre Lu "and coffee.
Taste: Hot, hot, ashy. Less powerful than the nose. Always the smell of farm and this fruity side.
Finish: Long on ashes, a slight bitterness. A taste of camphor, exotic fruits. A little hot on the back palate.

Nose: Peat
Taste: oily peat, vetiver
Finish: quite short

Straw color.
Vanilla nose. Lot of smoke. Light fruity notes, citrus. Farmy, iodized.
Palate first a little fruity and then peat (dry) takes over. Salt. Slight, lack of "body". A little watery.
Final quite long, on the smoke. Dry peat. Salt.
This whisky is a not very complex but well done. The mouth is a little too weak.

Color: Gold
Nose: first touches of lemon and tropical fruit (pineapple) accompanied by a thin peat and a light and subtle scent of roasted almonds, coarse salt and pepper.
Alcohol very well integrated.
Taste: delicate notes of lemon and praline (or brittle). A dram a little watery, a bit too much for my taste. A bit of chocolate milk. Ash and smoke iodine.
Finish: medium long in the on lemon and smoke.

Colour: White gold silk.
Nose: peaty nose first, gin. Rather vegetal or floral, evokes a bit of a potpourri. Crusts of a little stale white bread . Some minerality somewhat waxy. Kernel of fruit. One has a presentiment of a bitter woody taste.
Mouth: very sweet, very smooth palate, little consistency. The palate develops gradually over a pleasant sweet and peaty notes, slightly honeyed. Harmonious and balanced. Very nice melted.
Final: On fruit, with dry peat moss and a hint of smoke. Elegant and good length.

The nose opens with notes of peat smoke. The setting is quickly established, but without power nor sophistication. Moreover, notes of fresh herbs and lemon prevent it from being called "peat monster." Aeration confirm this: sweetness and honey take soon place in the nose, before the lemon, peat, salt and tar reminds us of the marine influence of this whisky. A nice range of flavours, a bit sober nevertheless.

The mouth opens on a very syrupy, it's almost a surprise. Orange, dark chocolate, orange peel, all on a cereal lawn, make the palate very soft, pleasant and surprising. Then hints of peat, tar, and especially smoke complement the whole, without, again, becoming too powerful. They are well, nearly too much controlled. A fresh and smooth Whisky, lacking of a little strength.

The final, rather long, is dominated by flavours of smoke and salt, almost fruity ones - too light to be further described- trying vainly to make room. A memory iodized salt remains in the mouth for many minutes.

In conclusion, we must wait for the final to feel a little power. This whisky is still well built, refined and quite complex.

Nose: Sweet, one feels first peat and smoke. There is a certain freshness. Gradually farmy notes appear , barns, manure. After a while these farmy notes make room to medicinal notes, disinfectant spray.
Palate: The attack is powerful on peat and smoke, especially smoke. There is salt, lots of salt. A hint of citrus, mostly on orange.
Finish: Quite long, mainly on smoke and salt.

Colour: Straw
Quite a present peat at the nose. Some smells of barn and undergrowth in the background. Hints of walnuts, peat and bitterness clearly dominate.
The mouth is slightly more expressive than the nose. First some fresh fruit followed by some nice spicy notes, still with the smoke of peat in the background, hints of chocolate milk. A nice balance and a perfectly controlled alcohol.
The finish length is medium and it does not betray the mouth. A first impression followed by fresh and spicy notes of cold ashes.
Quite a nice and easy to drink whisky.

The nose, very expressive! Straightforward notes of peat, somewhat dirty, somewhat stable, but a pervasive and a little sickening smell of peanuts. Then more citrus notes, lemon. Vanilla enhances with the time. On the palate, quite soft, peat, light smoke, marine, citrus, lemon, a little cloying. Dirty. Tar, one side animal, fish (haddock). A little tnagy, long finish in the line of to the mouth.

Nose: This is a fighter, very punchy, grassy, peaty and salty, then becomes fruity (raspberry), tip of licorice and honey. Quite amazing and complex, it deserves further analysis. I'm guess it is a cask strength.
Taste: The alcohol is less present, more controlled, creamy texture, are we really dealing with a cask strenght? Taste of fresh bread crust, peat, light licorice, always salt and the spices (thyme).
Final: good fresh light on the peat, the fatty side persists. Peat lovers should enjoy it.

The first nose is smoky with strong hints of burnt rubber. Quickly the palette is enriched with apricot, toast, honey, almond biscuit and honey. I note also traces of clove and vanilla. Failing to be rich, the nose is accurate, clear and presents well defined flavors.
On the palate, the attack is spicy and sweet. Supposed to soften the caramel but a little sickening, the hazelnut, peat and some exotic fruits decorated eucalyptus form the panel.
The final, low-intensity and medium length opens with a mixture of sweet - salty, peat and spice. These will soon be enriched with mint and eucalyptus too.

Appearance: clear Riesling, slender legs that flow slowly
Nose: medium intensity, alcohol moderately well integrated (manifested by a tingling if the nose is too close the glass), mix peat / smoke and lemon, perhaps green apple
Mouth: moderate, peat dominant with lemony acidity and a little malt
Finale: Short to medium
Conclusion: A simple but pleasant nose, a mouth on the profile of young peaty (I relishes but are not particularly valued by many) well done.

On the nose, malt, peat, rubber and herbs do battle but failed to flatter my snout.
The palate is malty, medium peaty, relatively simple without being disagreeable.
The finish is medium long and has notes of nuts.

Colour: Straw with hints of salmon.
Nose: Peat and diluted iris powder. Maybe some strawberry puree, but at this point, the flavors seem to be stuck at the bottom of the glass due to excessive dilution. By dipping the nose in the glass, you end up catching some tail of distillation notes (old Salers cheese), and some coffee, but God, all that is distant and discreet!
Palate: The attack is soft and sweet, not unpleasant, but without much flavor, without great power. Sugar water that adds to the cold ashes, and some sweet licorice. And not much else. Nothing needy, but it lacks punch, taste, personality.
Final: Vanishes quickly, leaving only the acrid smoke. Like drinking a glass of water behind a cigarette.

Tobermory

Ledaig 1998 Sherry butt

Color: Gold
At first nosing unpleasant hints of yeast appear. They happily fade after a few moments to vent a little room for farmy notes: leather and undergrowth.
Later still, green fruit notes are to blend in together, and throughout, the presence of alcohol is evident.
The mouth is much nicer than the nose, with hot notes of chocolate and those fruity acid notes that complete the picture. Nice complexity and very interesting contrast between the acidity of the fruit that comes violently to face this chocolate attack that promised to be very gentle.
The finish is long and pleasant, warm and marked especially by the memory of mocha.

Tobermory

Ledaig

Comment by

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Johannes Sauer

Colour: Bright white wine, Riesling, beautifulNose: Strong peat with some strange stingy vinegar-acid added which you can also call grated lemon peel. A quite unbalanced unpleasant nose. Any softer malty notes are displaced by this first impression, which leaves no room for any complexity. Palate: Leather appears, comfortable old armchairs. The vinegar steps back in favour of more maltiness. The whole whisky is gaining more complexity and more with water added, but even then the vinegar is detectable. Finish: The armchair and the bit of complexity vanishes, the peat is leaving soft traces on the tongue. All this soon over.... Conclusion: A dram that leaves me helpless: If the ingredients were more balanced, it could be a good whisky comparable with Jura or Pulteney, perhaps some more year! s in the cask could do.

Tobermory

1974

Tobermory

Ledaig 20 years

Tobermory

1993-2004

Tobermory

1995

Tobermory

10 years, Chieftain's Chooice

Comment by

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Thomas Widter

The Mull-based distillery Ledaig (Tobermory) might not be one of the most respected distilleries. Whether or not you appreciate dry malts tends to decide if you think differently or not (I do). This very smoky bottle might make indeed have an even more profound influence on your opinion. Admittedly, I am Swiss, which might contribute to my fondness of this malt: It smells and tates like really old rancid cheese. But in a good, if not to say truly great way. If Ardbeg has some kind of smoked-meat-taste to it, this is the cheese version. This malt makes the most out of the foundation any Tobermory contains, a mix of flowery dryness and... maybe roasted peanuts? All of that is still there, but amplied and added to in a beautiful way. You might enjoy Tobermory malts more, or in a different way, once you've had a dram of this terrific Ledaig.

Tobermory

Ledaig 31 years

Tobermory

Ledaig 1973-2006

Tobermory

Ledaig, 12 years