Ledaig 2009 MM The Art of Maturation Benchmark (Murray McDavid)

From Murray McDavid comes this Ledaig, a 15 year old from 2009 and bottled at 53.2%. A release of 1547 bottles. Made on the Isle of Mull, Ledaig is the heavily peated malt of the island's only distillery. Ledaig, the old name kept for the peated malt, means safe haven in Gaelic.

It was distilled from malt peated to around thirty seven parts per million, building the bold, smoky Ledaig style. A wine cask held it, layering red fruit over the soot. Mid age brings a deeper, sweeter smoke and a maritime lift. The heavily peated spirit holds its smoke well across long maturation. 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. Its painted home town gives the unpeated malt its name.

At its natural 53.2% it is concentrated. Wood smoke, BBQ char and a coastal salt, and the Port cask adds plum and red berry. It is bold and coastal, the peat and soot to the fore. It finishes smoky, salty and warming. This is a heavily peated malt from Mull's only distillery.