Ledaig 1999 (Connoisseurs Choice)

From Gordon & MacPhail comes this Ledaig, a 23 year old island malt from 1999, drawn from cask 293 and bottled at 55.4%. Just 202 bottles were filled. Ledaig, the peated malt of Mull's only distillery, keeps the old name the distillery bore when John Sinclair founded it in 1798. Water comes from the Gearr Abhainn, a private hill loch above the town of Tobermory.

The spirit was distilled from malt peated to around thirty seven parts per million, building the bold, smoky Ledaig style. A refill bourbon cask held it, keeping the smoke to the fore. Long ageing brings a soft, sweet smoke, dried fruit and a coastal salt. The heavily peated spirit holds its smoke well across long maturation. A rare, more heavily peated make has appeared under the name Iona, after a neighbouring isle. In dry summers the distillery has paused when its hill loch ran low. The distillery sits at the head of the bay, beneath a steep wooded hill.

Undiluted at 55.4%, it is powerful. Wood smoke, BBQ char and a coastal salt, and the bourbon cask adds vanilla and a gentle honey. It is bold and coastal, the peat and soot to the fore. It finishes smoky, salty and warming. This is a heavily peated malt from Mull's only distillery.