Ledaig 1990 (Connoisseurs Choice) (40%)

Gordon & MacPhail bottled this Ledaig matured to 10 year old from 1990 and bottled at 40%. Ledaig is the smoky side of Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull, one of Scotland's oldest distilleries. Its history is famously broken, with long silences; the buildings once held holiday lets and stored cheese.

Worked through high reflux stills from peated malt, for the smoky, maritime spirit Ledaig is known for. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla under the maritime smoke. Still young, it is smoky and briny with a sweet lift. Coastal warehousing lends a mineral, sea spray lift to the smoke. 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.

Reduced to 40%, it is mellow. A maritime smoke over ripe fruit, and the ex-Bourbon lends vanilla and a soft honey. Soft smoke and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. The finish runs smoky, sweet and warm. This is a bold, peated island single malt.