Whisky review: Ledaig Sherry Finish

Ledaig, pronounced "LED-chig," is a single malt produced by the Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull. As the only distillery on this island, you'd think they would at least name the whisky after the distillery so you can keep your story straight, or at the VERY bare minimum, make the name of the whisky sound like how it's spelled. Not the case.

Also, who bottles at 42%?

The bottle proclaims that the whisky has "sweet peatiness" and that it's made from a "fine selection of fresh single malts." I guess that probably means young single malts, since there's no age statement. Let's see how it fares...

Ledaig Sherry Finish, 42% ABV
Single malt Scotch whisky (highland - island)

Appearance: Light honey

Nose: Fresh, wet hay. Grassy. Very farm-like with some sweet wood and young fruit notes in the background.

Palate: On entry, takes a while to get going. Then I get some peat and wood, and then something kind of bitter, like pure cocoa.

Finish: A twinge of sherry right at the start. Turns into pure bitter cocoa again after a few moments.

Rating (of 100): 82. This is another Pinocchio whisky - the nose is the most memorable part.

[Note after tasting: I was looking at Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2010 and he describes the Ledaig 12 as having "serious farmyard aromas." I swear I didn't read his entry before trying this whisky. But I feel good knowing I'm not completely off base...]