Ledaig 1995 DD 15 years The Nectar (Daily Dram)

Daily Dram selected this Ledaig matured to 26 year old from 1995 and bottled at 48.4%. Ledaig is the smoky side of Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull, one of Scotland's oldest distilleries. The single malts are bottled without chill filtration at 46.3 percent or higher.

Distilled from malt peated to around thirty seven parts per million, building the bold, smoky Ledaig style. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, a light sweetness under the peat. Long ageing brings a soft, sweet smoke, dried fruit and a coastal salt. The cool, damp island air gives a slow, even maturation. Its painted home town gives the unpeated malt its name. 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.

At 48.4%, undiluted, it is rich and deep. Wood smoke, BBQ char and a coastal salt, and honeyed vanilla comes through from the ex-Bourbon. It is bold and coastal, the peat and soot to the fore. It closes long, smoky and briny. This is a heavily peated malt from Mull's only distillery.