Ledaig 2005 WIN (Whisky Import Nederland)

Whisky Import Nederland bottled this Ledaig, a 7 year old from 2005, drawn from cask 8000049 and bottled at 62.1%. A release of 300 bottles. Ledaig is the peated malt made at Tobermory on Mull, a distillery founded as Ledaig in 1798. Ledaig, the old name kept for the peated malt, means safe haven in Gaelic.

It was distilled from malt peated to around thirty seven parts per million, building the bold, smoky Ledaig style. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla under the maritime smoke. Still young, it is smoky and briny with a sweet lift. 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. Both malts feed the Scottish Leader and Black Bottle blends as well as single malt.

Undiluted at 62.1%, it is powerful. Wood smoke, BBQ char and a coastal salt, and ex-Bourbon oak gives vanilla and a light sweetness. It is bold and coastal, the peat and soot to the fore. The finish runs smoky, sweet and warm. This is a heavily peated malt from Mull's only distillery.