The Maltman Ledaig 2007 12 Year Old

This time, there's no particular narrative. I visited my local liquor store to restock my collection, as several bottles were depleted during the semi-lockdown. This 12-year-old Ledaig, bottled by Meadowside Blending Company under 'The Maltman' label, immediately captured my interest. Based on positive encounters with all previous Ledaig bottlings I've sampled (including the 10 and 18-year-old, the 19-year-old Oloroso, and even the G&M 12-year-old), I was confident this would be excellent. However, I hesitated because the shopkeeper had reserved a bottle from the fourth and final limited release of Ardnamurchan Spirit 2019/AD, which I had enjoyed at our last private tasting; I recalled it being a superb new spirit. I opted for the simpler choice and bought both bottles, along with some fine Italian wines for my partner. This limited edition (289 bottles) was a special German Alba import, matured in a single Bourbon Hogshead and bottled at cask strength. The 52.7% ABV is subtly apparent in the somewhat sharp, medicinal aroma. Fortunately, after some aeration, the sharpness subsided, revealing a pleasant, gentle peat smoke. The palate was immediately impressive, with suggestions of smoked salmon and perhaps even delicately peppered oysters. I also detected a faint hint of salty caramel. Observing the improvement after breathing, I'm certain this bottle will evolve further now that it's been opened. Subsequent tastings will undoubtedly unlock its full potential. The finish lingered with salty caramel, while the salmon/oyster notes faded more quickly. Overall, this proved to be a remarkable dram, though difficult to evaluate. Its aroma wasn't immediately captivating and required some time to open up, but the palate compensated for this. Its rather pale color is also not visually striking, but again, the palate redeemed it. It certainly ranks among my top 5 peated whiskies that are not finished. For now, I award it a full and solid 4 stars.