Ledaig 12 Years Old (Discovery)

A Ledaig single malt, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail matured to 12 year old and bottled at 43%. Ledaig, the peated malt of Mull's only distillery, keeps the old name the distillery bore when John Sinclair founded it in 1798. The stills carry boil bulbs and an S shaped kink in the lyne arms, which raises reflux.

Worked through high reflux stills from peated malt, for the smoky, maritime spirit Ledaig is known for. A sherry butt held it, sherry and smoke twining together. Past a decade the smoke softens, the soot and brine settling over ripe fruit. Years in oak round the smoke while the medicinal, tarry notes mellow. The distillery was refurbished and its stills renewed between 2017 and 2019. Mull's maritime climate works into the maturing casks over the years. It is one of the oldest commercial distilleries in Scotland still working. Tobermory has distilled in the island's harbour town since 1798.

At 43% it is clean and full. A maritime smoke over ripe fruit, and raisin and a nutty sherry depth build. Soft smoke and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. The close is long, smoke over a sweet fruit. This is a bold, peated island single malt.