Ledaig 26 Year Old 1993 Casqueteers

Casqueteers is a brotherhood of whisky lovers that purchase a cask every now and then in which you can buy a part (I have quite a few myself and am patiently awaiting bottling). The recently bottled a single cask Ledaig from 1993, giving it the wonderful age of 26 years. It’s a sister cask of the one I just tried from The Single Cask. Only, this one is much less expensive with its price tag of 175 EUR. Both casks – this #243 and the recently tried #245 – were both put down on 5th March 1993. This one matured for some six months longer and was bottled on the 10th September 2019. The ABV is slightly lower, the color a shade paler.

The nose is a lot sweeter on buttermilk, vanilla and orchard fruit. Nothing tropical here, but nevertheless a fine nose. Surprisingly enough I get hardly any peat and even less spices. Hint of jute bags, chalk and yoghurt. Pleasant.

The body is fine, as is the strength. Nicely prickling sensation upon arrival, but immediately honeysweet. Banana, yoghurt and a truckload of vanilla. Almost like licking a vanilla pod. Some ginger, white pepper and liquorice.

The finish lasts forever, is sweet, peppery and smoky.

It’s quite different from sister cask #245, but equally good. I have a sneaky feeling that the sister cask was actually a sherry hogshead, while this one is most likely a bourbon cask. Tip: pour it and then leave it for ten minutes. You will thank me later.

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