Ledaig 13 2005 Single Cask Nation

Finally getting to my first ever swap to review. Thanks to robbentheking over at speak-easy for the swap on this one. I haven’t had the chance to try an SCN bottle yet and they seem to be on the better received end of bottlers from what I’ve seen online. I couldn’t pass up and opportunity to try this Ledaig I had already wanted to purchase but could find available for shipping to me.

Ledaig 13 2005 Vintage, Single Cask Nation, Island (Mull) Single Malt, 57.1% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in October 2005 and matured in 2nd fill Sherry but #900165 for 13 years and bottled in March 2019 yielding 575 bottles. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Tawny, 1.4.

Nose: Dirty, earthy, woody smoke, with a tinge of fruit. After a while it smells like a pepper/coffee-rubbed steak.

Taste: Dirty/earthy. Spicy, woody. Char/smoky.

Finish: Earthy, smoky, maillard flavor. Medium-long.

Man, this was excellent. It was almost like falling in love with Ledaig all over again as I felt similarly to the first time I ever had it. A lovely dirtiness to this dram that makes me thing of the Alexander Murray 20 I had, but whatever that was missing to bring it over the edge to loving it, this has (or whatever this has, that lost).

Score: 91