Review 260. Dràm Mòr Ledaig 16 yo 1st fill Koval Rye Barrel finish

In the almost 6 years that I know Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald – the dynamic duo at the heart and center of all things Dràm Mòr, I have lost track of how many of their whiskies I’ve tried, owned and /or reviewed. And I’m happy to report that in those 6 years I’ve never had a dud while on the other hand,  there are quite a few of their releases I fondly remember. I first met them at a whisky festival  in Belgium in March 2020, when they had literally just set up shop and were keen to show the world their first ever batch of whiskies (a rather excellent Glenrothes, a lovely balanced Caol Ila and a beautiful and now infamous Glen Garioch which was wrongly spelled Glen Garrioch – collector’s item material right there). Literally 10 days later the world went in lockdown, and I could almost hear Kenny swear all the way from Dumbarton in his most juicy Scottish accent.

But lo and behold, 6 years on and it’s fair to say they not just survived the storm, but have been growing from strength to strength ever since. Yes, they run a small scale family business, meaning  chances are they are not the cheapest of indie bottlers out there (definitely not the most expensive either, ftr) and yes, everything they do is by definition small batch due to them focusing on single cask releases, so yes, chances are that by the time I put this review out most of this bottling will also be all but gone. But, personal opinion, I have a profound preference for and sympathy towards those small, fully independent, family run businesses the likes of Dràm Mòr or Watt Whisky. Possibly (probably) it’s their hands on approach, which, almost by definition, means they are approachable, allowing us as customers to build a  personal connection and relationship with them, if only because you can pretty much ask them anything and you’ll know for a fact that the info you’re getting is coming straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth. To be able to deal with a business that relies on their product to do the speaking for them (and, granted,  a good dose of Kenny’s charisma and Viktorija’s charm) rather than relying on a team of marketeers to ‘build your brand’ or hired help to promote your product at some festival or another: there is something very refreshing about that. It’s literally the co-owner / ‘CEO’ behind the table pouring you a drink and giving you the ins and outs behind it, and that’s becoming a very rare thing these days. So we should cherish it.

Ledaig 16 year old 53.1% ABV, first fill Koval Rye Barrel finish, 2025 release, 148 bottles, €140 and still available

I picked up this sample at Liquid Leuven. While Kenny nor Viktorija were able to attend, we did have Jurgen Vromans, their Belgian importer and a well know ‘character’/personality in the Belgian whisky scene pouring the drinks and telling the tales. Everyone who ever met Jurgen will know that he is a very worthy spokesman and a true ambassador for the brands he represents.

Nose

Surprisingly sweet. Not as in ‘super duper’ dessert like sweetness, but definitely sweeter than I anticipated.  The ‘green’ rye eucalyptus / menthol vibe leans wonderfully well into a strawberry bubblegum note. The earthy peat underneath is ever so mellow, up to the point where it’s almost untraceable even, but nonetheless that ground note manages to lift the entire experience. It doesn’t end there, however, as with some time even more herbaceous – fruity goodness appears with a hint of rhubarb and parsley. Lovely, rich, yet balanced and subtle.

Palate

The peat is immediately more noticeable now – albeit we’re still nowhere near peat monster territory, rather we find ourselves in mellow barbecue country. It’s a bit prickly and perhaps a bit ‘young’ overall (16 going on 12 - ish), and I’m not getting much in the way of a rye influence. What it does offer though, is a very nice viscosity, carried by a lovely syrupy note and enhanced further by dark fruit and berry notes.

Finish

Long, some soft pepper and as grand finale an echo of very gentle earthy peat.

Final thoughts

The nose on this is stupefyingly good! So much so, the palate sometimes has its work cut out to live up to the expectations! And in all honesty, that’s a bit unfair as the palate is still (very) good imo.  A rather ‘mild’ Ledaig we’ve got here, much more refined, much more ‘restrained’ perhaps and definitely more mellow overall than, say, most official Ledaig releases. Yes, there’s a bit of a lid on the peat and smoke, but it lays a foundation on which the rest can build, allowing plenty room for other notes to shine. If you take into account that recent, younger official cs releases from Ledaig retailed for 3 digits, the price of €140 for this seems ‘in check.’ Not cheap, I’ll admit, but value for money? I’m inclined to say yes.