Ledaig 2007 (Old Particular)

Douglas Laing selected this Ledaig, a 12 year old release from 2007, drawn from cask DL 13326 and bottled at 48.4%. A release of 314 bottles. Ledaig is the peated malt made at Tobermory on Mull, a distillery founded as Ledaig in 1798. Water comes from the Gearr Abhainn, a private hill loch above the town of Tobermory.

The spirit 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. Mid age brings a deeper, sweeter smoke and a maritime lift. Peat smoke and active oak settle together over the years, the smoke softening as the fruit deepens. The distillery's history is broken by long silences; its buildings once stored a local cheddar. Burn Stewart revived production in 1993, and Distell bought the distillery in 2013. The stills carry boil bulbs and a kink in the lyne arms, which lifts the reflux.

At 48.4%, undiluted, it is rich and deep. Soot, sea salt and a sweet fruit, and the Pedro Ximenez lends raisin, date and treacle. Beneath the smoke run brine, tar and a sweet fruit. It closes long, smoky and briny. This is the peated island malt of Mull.