Ledaig 2009 BNSp (Brave New Spirits)

A Ledaig single malt, bottled by Brave New Spirits, a 12 year old island malt from 2009, drawn from cask 700102 and bottled at 51.5%. The outturn was 263 bottles. Ledaig is the smoky side of Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull, one of Scotland's oldest distilleries. The single malts are bottled without chill filtration at 46.3 percent or higher.

Run through the distillery's boil ball stills from peated barley, to build the medicinal, briny Ledaig character. Maturation in sherry laid dried fruit over the peat. 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. 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. Water is drawn from a private hill loch, the Gearr Abhainn, above the town.

At cask strength 51.5% it is muscular. Soot, sea salt and a sweet fruit, and the Madeira lends raisin and a caramelised nuttiness. Beneath the smoke run brine, tar and a sweet fruit. The close is long, smoke over a sweet fruit. This is the peated island malt of Mull.