Ledaig 2008 MMcK (Morrison and MacKay)

Morrison and MacKay selected this Ledaig matured to 7 year old from 2008, drawn from cask 700694 and bottled at 60.7%. The outturn was 252 bottles. Ledaig is the peated malt made at Tobermory on Mull, a distillery founded as Ledaig in 1798. The distillery was founded in 1798 by John Sinclair, a local kelp merchant, as the Ledaig distillery.

The spirit was distilled from malt peated to around thirty seven parts per million, building the bold, smoky Ledaig style. A sherry cask wrapped the smoke in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Still young, it is smoky and briny with a sweet lift. The cool, damp island air gives a slow, even maturation. 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.

Undiluted at 60.7%, it is powerful. Wood smoke, BBQ char and a coastal salt, and sherried dried fruit and a nutty edge come through. It is bold and coastal, the peat and soot to the fore. It closes long, smoky and briny. This is a heavily peated malt from Mull's only distillery.