for the rest of my Whisky Journey 2020 posts, do check out the collection label here.
i'll be candid - when i first embarked on Whisky Journey 2020, i had not expected to discover so many awesome whiskies and distilleries, find so many new places that i would see myself returning to, and meet so many wonderful people who share a similar passion for a good spirited discussion.
i think the combination of all three of these being fulfilled was what made my visit to The Writing Club such a special and memorable one. apart from discovering the wonderful world of Ledaig, i was enamoured by the refined cosy ambiance within this veritable whisky library, and so glad to have met Sherin (one of the owners there).
for Whisky Journey 2020, The Writing Club has a great selection of whiskies from the Isle of Mull - specifically, the esteemed Tobermory and Ledaig. their Ledaig 10-year-old is the free 10ml pour for this location, and they also offered a Whisky Journey exclusive tasting flight comprising the Ledaig 18-year-old, Ledaig 1997 Manzanilla 21-year-old, and Tobermory 12-year-old. it was a pity that the two limited edition whiskies, the Ledaig 1998 Marsala 21-year-old and the Tobermory 2007 Port Pipe 12-year-old were unavailable from the start of the Whisky Journey, due to a holdup at customs.
i redeemed my free pour of the Ledaig 10-year-old (46.3% abv) which proved to be a wonderful subtle peated experience. on the nose, this begins a little shy with a tossed salad of light fruits, but soon develops into a smooth sweet and smoky aroma, featuring lemons and oranges blended with a drop of honey under a gentle trail of smoke. the taste comes across stronger than the nose would have led me to believe, with a wreath of thick smoke surfacing almost immediately on the tongue. overall it remains quite a sweet citrus whisky though there's a little bit of zesty bitterness adding to the depth and complexity. the finish is of medium-length, and the bitterness from the citrus zest becomes more prominent. i loved this pour all the way up to the start of the finish, and then realised that i like my whiskies how i like my relationships - regardless of whether they start off as sweet or go into more tempestuous territory, i really don't enjoy them ending on a bitter note. i'm glad to have tried this for Whisky Journey but unless my taste profile evolves significantly, it's not something i can see myself inclined towards in the near future.
i also ordered the tasting flight to try each of the remaining available whiskies - the Tobermory 12-year-old, the Ledaig 18-year-old, and the Ledaig 1997 Manzanilla 21-year-old. full disclaimer - the above picture was deliberately taken with a much lower exposure and some colour corrections made in post-processing for artistic purposes; the first picture of this post is more accurate as to the actual colour of the flight in real life.
the Tobermory 12-year-old (46.3% abv) was a lovely tropical fruit smorgasbord, featuring a great blend of pineapple, mango, melon and other fruits on the nose. this is sweeter than the Ledaig 10-year-old, with a smooth caramel note filling in the gaps between all the different fruits and bringing it all together. there's one thing that the caramel can't disguise though, and that's a deeper underlying woodiness and earthiness that provides a strong contrast to the fruits.
sadly, quite a few of the interesting tropical nuances which were present in the nosing didn't make an appearance on the palate; the sweet citrus of the pineapple and smooth honey of the mango and melon disappeared and instead the caramel and earthiness came forward more with a good dose of brine supporting it. like the Ledaig 10-year-old, this verged more on the bitter side with the prominence of the wood notes, something which those familiar with the distillery may find comforting but which was a little further removed from my personal preferences than i would have liked.
the Ledaig 18-year-old (46.3% abv) was a new experience for me, one of my first encounters with a petrol note in whisky. the first sniffs from the glass were sneakily alluring with a lovely caramel and burnt sugar, but this was quickly taken over by a strong sour sharpness of three P's - petrol, peat, and pickled vegetables. despite its age statement and veritable pedigree, this was definitely an acquired taste and wasn't a dram that i'm keen on trying again.
with how these Isle of Mull whiskies were turning out for me, i was extremely apprehensive moving on to the final pour of the flight, the Ledaig 1997 Manzanilla 21-year-old (52.9% abv). thankfully, this one provided a different enough experience that made me realise that perhaps i had just gotten off on the wrong foot with this distillery, and that it may well be something i could get used to over time.
the nosing of this one was smooth yet complex, featuring a rich golden honey and a similar burnt sugar as in the 18-year-old, masterfully blended and ladled generously over a wooden bowl of red fruits and raisins. a refined smoke drapes itself over these Manzanilla sherry notes to complete the picture. the same notes shine with the tasting, with the addition of a supple leather and smooth dark chocolate on the tail end of the palate. a slight spice emerges with the moderately long finish, just enough to keep things interesting.
all things considered, my trip to The Writing Club was quite an eye-opening introduction to this beautiful distillery on the Isle of Mull, and i'm immensely keen on returning to sample other quality bottles from their considerable collection.
slàinte!
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this review is of a product that i had purchased at regular price with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review this as a condition of purchase and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with The Whisky Store, The Writing Club or any of the other participating bars / distilleries, and as always, all opinions remain my own.
The Writing Club is at 390 Orchard Road, #02-10, Singapore 238871.
all information correct at time of publishing.
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