Whisky Sponge NAS No.1
30yo Blended Malt | 45.4% ABV
Plus: Bonus Review Whisky Sponge Ledaig 2005 Edition No.70
Press play
An early warning appears in the form of an email that confirms a DHL package has been dispatched from deepest darkest Fife, to the capital of the Kingdom, in deepest darkest Fife. A welcome reminder to be indoors during a rather cold Scottish day and not at work in the office – remember those places?
Opening the message, prompts something previously vanquished and dormant to stir within, as I’ve not been writing about whisky whatsoever, if you’re conveniently ignoring the black hole that is Glen Mhor, which has been my current focus. Frankly, I’ve not missed ‘the work’ on many levels. There’s a certain freedom to be had in just enjoying a whisky as opposed to having to adopt a forensic approach to the experience. A more back to roots approach, enjoying what I’ve been unable to find time to explore on my own whisky shelves.
Truth being told, as it always is, I faded into the background with the promise that I wouldn’t write about something unless I felt moved in some way, or that’s what I told Gregor. Whiskies that have such power – or a raging defect – are quite rare. I believe that I’m not alone in wanting to seek out these moments of joy and also the potholes. Stepping away from the more mundane whiskies that exist and form the overwhelming majority, yet don’t form a real lasting impression.
Combine this with a ‘quality over quantity’ approach and I’ve certainly been buying less whisky. I’m probably not alone in this methodology, with the rising price of life managing to eat into what spare cash we all once had. Even staples have seemingly gone up by 25% meaning the £1 buys are now £1.25 and we should start to see these pressures appearing more in release prices of whiskies. Many of us might have been frivolous in our spending over the past few years, but I have to question how many bottles are being opened, or even appreciated fully when that time comes?
Appreciating time is something that has become vitally important and setting aside the right moment for a particular bottle or pour. Most evenings I just want an accomplice such as a Shackleton or Thompson Bros blended creation. Neither will stir the soul or demand your commitment like a malevolent spirit, Phil or a Dramface staff member. For those more intense moments or challenges, I’ll pour something that requires more focus. The quality aspect remains a constant if I can help it. That’s something which comes through with the array of Decadent Drinks releases that I’ve been fortunate to experience over the past few years.
The doorbell rings and my local DHL driver (who must think I have a vinyl addiction to replace my bottle infestation) hands over the latest package. A clutch of new and forthcoming releases from Decadent that I can hopefully shed some light on. Prices being what they are, such releases are not impulse purchases. We’re not as fortunate as to be able to roll the dice on something that might deliver without gauging its wares first, or I suspect this applies to the majority of readers.
For the record, the last man (or woman) standing in my own drinking library from this bottler is a 2007 Ledaig known as Spongezilla. A fun bottling with plenty of gusto and presence. So, my expectations are heightened by the presence of the 2005 Ledaig bottled at an eye watering 62.1%. We’ll be taking this one into custody very soon for further questioning. Yet I wanted to start with the Notable Age Statement (NAS) edition, which is the first in the series. Emblazoned with a mighty ‘30’ standing tall and proud on the label. This bottling doesn’t shy away and is a blended malt from the illustrious Signatory warehouses.
In essence, this was a sherry butt that was compiled of various ‘cask samples and bottling run ends’, tantalisingly comprising of illustrious names and closed distilleries, which herald back to the 1960s, or in other words, are much older than the mere ‘30’ suggests. If mysteries sold whisky, then this would be a sure-fire winner but it is still available for £265 and is bottled at 45.1%. As a fan of blends and blended malts, there is a huge interest in how all of these deposits come together, in what is pure chance and necessity, as opposed to any well-rehearsed and orchestrated plan.
Now, I might be wrong, but I recall a previous release that also heralded from the Signatory realm and was a similar make-up with odds and ends. That one did have personality but also a touch of soap that detracted from my own enjoyment slightly. Sometimes it is a trait you do come across in older bottlings and isn’t something I pick up greatly nowadays on more modern releases.
So, a fun evening awaits with a stimulating duo on paper that demand more focus and a break from my recent routine. Plucking out a slab of vinyl from Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, which might be just as old as some of the whiskies in the ‘30’ bottling, I believe we’re ready to begin.
Review 1/2
NAS No. 1 Blended Malt 30yo, 45.4% ABV
£265 available at time of writing
Nose
cola cubes, a well-worn bannister and brown sugar. A homely and inviting aroma continues with hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, chestnut mushrooms and a used teabag. The sherry influence is gentle and doesn’t dominate. It is a complex beast with flashes of cherry, coco and figs to add more appeal to the experience.
Palate
coffee beans, chocolate and black tea. Some treacle notes and drying in places suggesting the age of wood. Chilli flakes, tobacco and a lingering smokiness on the finish. Black peppercorns and an astringent aspect on the palate mean for me that his is not a sum of its parts and as a random creation is a fun experience in the realm of chance, but it isn’t without its flaws on the palate.
Score: 6/10 DM
Review 2/2
Whisky Sponge Edition No. 70, Ledaig 2005, 62.1% ABV
£295 available at time of writing
Nose
Autumnal mulch and a wet bog might suggest a peak reek but things are more rounded and stylish. Cold black coffee, toffee, cinnamon and Werther’s Originals. There’s an enjoyable darkness here rich with clove, charcoal and blackcurrant and Love Heart sweeties?
Palate
Oh my, now the peat comes through with the sherry yet manages to retain some harmony. There’s no denying the blast of peat that engulfs your mouth and lingers in a sooty fashion, long after the liquid has departed. Beneath this raw power exists dark chocolate, tar, blackcurrants, figs and cloves. There’s all-spice and memories of a coffee liqueur alongside a dark stout are revived.
Score: 8/10 DM
The Dregs
Considering this duo, they offer quite the contrast and a journey that has taken us very much from Side A to Side B with plenty to appreciate within. The NAS 30yo release just doesn’t quite hold together on the palate in my opinion. The nose does offer plenty of mystery and we’d all love to know what malts were deposited into the cask over the years. The end result is a dram that underlines luck sometimes doesn’t quite work out as well as you hoped for. I’m left reasonably impressed by the randomness of it and I’m all for the unbeaten path and unfashionable option, every time.
The Ledaig is something else entirely and it is only on the second or third pour that you can overcome the initial relentless power of the peat and sherry on the palate. It is startling as it is captivating. The alcohol strength doesn’t even come into play. Even now as the last drops land in my glass and the record clicks on the run-out groove, do I begin to comprehend and appreciate the distinctive cold heart at the centre of this whisky. It will set you back £295 which isn’t to be sniffed at, but sherry and peat drams like this don’t come along too often. The last being the Gordon & MacPhail shop exclusive Ardmore which had a touch more depth to it, but left a similar impression. Hmm, I’m tempted and temptation is a bad thing in whisky!
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. DM