Ledaig 2007 (Signatory)

Bottled by Signatory Vintage, this Ledaig matured to 12 year old from 2007, drawn from cask 700583 and bottled at 59.2%. 648 bottles in all. 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 drawn off stills with their S shaped lyne arms, from peated malt, for a heavily peated island spirit. A sherry butt held it, sherry and smoke twining together. By this age the peat rounds into a sweeter, coastal smoke. Sea air works into the island maturation, lending Ledaig its briny, coastal edge. Water is drawn from a private hill loch, the Gearr Abhainn, above the town. 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.

At cask strength 59.2% it is muscular. A sooty smoke with tar and brine, and the Oloroso gives dried fruit and a toasted nuttiness. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with sea salt. A long, ashy finish ends on sea salt. This is Ledaig's smoky, maritime single malt.