Ledaig 2006 (Connoisseurs Choice)

Gordon & MacPhail bottled this Ledaig, aged 17 year old from 2006, drawn from cask 16603707 and bottled at 56.5%. 297 bottles in all. Ledaig is the heavily peated single malt of Tobermory distillery, the only distillery on the Isle of Mull, founded in 1798. It is one of Scotland's oldest distilleries, and the only one on its island.

It was run through the distillery's boil ball stills from peated barley, to build the medicinal, briny Ledaig character. A sherry cask wrapped the smoke in dried fruit and a nutty depth. By this age the peat rounds into a sweeter, coastal smoke. The phenols soften with age into a gentle, sweet wood 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.

At a natural 56.5% it is bold and full. Soot, sea salt and a sweet fruit, and raisin and a nutty sherry depth build. Beneath the smoke run brine, tar and a sweet fruit. The finish runs smoky, sweet and warm. This is the peated island malt of Mull.