Ledaig 2007 Sb (Sansibar)

Sansibar bottled this Ledaig, a 14 year old from 2007, drawn from cask Batch No. 9 and bottled at 53.8%. A release of 358 bottles. Made on the Isle of Mull, Ledaig is the heavily peated malt of the island's only distillery. It is one of Scotland's oldest distilleries, and the only one on its island.

It was worked through high reflux stills from peated malt, for the smoky, maritime spirit Ledaig is known for. A sherry cask wrapped the smoke in dried fruit and a nutty depth. By this age the peat rounds into a sweeter, coastal smoke. Coastal warehousing lends a mineral, sea spray lift to the smoke. 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. The distillery's history is broken by long silences; its buildings once stored a local cheddar.

Undiluted at 53.8%, it is powerful. A maritime smoke over ripe fruit, and the Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth. Soft smoke and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. The finish runs smoky, sweet and warm. This is a bold, peated island single malt.