Ledaig 2004 ElD (Elixir)

This Ledaig was bottled by Elixir Distillers, a 14 year old island malt from 2004, drawn from cask 49 and bottled at 56.2%. Just 298 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. Ledaig, the old name kept for the peated malt, means safe haven in Gaelic.

It was drawn off stills with their S shaped lyne arms, from peated malt, for a heavily peated island spirit. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, soft oak that lets the peat lead. Around the mid teens the smoke knits with dried fruit and a sea salt. Sea air works into the island maturation, lending Ledaig its briny, coastal edge. It is one of the oldest commercial distilleries in Scotland still working. Tobermory has distilled in the island's harbour town since 1798. The town of Tobermory was laid out by the British Fisheries Society a decade before the distillery came.

At its natural 56.2% it is concentrated. A sooty smoke with tar and brine, and honeyed vanilla comes through from the ex-Bourbon. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with sea salt. A long, peaty finish smoulders to the end. This is Ledaig's smoky, maritime single malt.