Ledaig 2009 (Signatory)

A Ledaig single malt, an independent Signatory Vintage bottling, aged 7 year old from 2009, drawn from cask 700351 + 700352 and bottled at 46%. The outturn was 563 bottles. Ledaig is the smoky side of Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull, one of Scotland's oldest distilleries. The distillery makes two malts: the unpeated Tobermory and the peated Ledaig.

It was worked through high reflux stills from peated malt, for the smoky, maritime spirit Ledaig is known for. A refill bourbon cask held it, keeping the smoke to the fore. Younger here, the peat runs bold over a sweet, fruity core. Years in oak round the smoke while the medicinal, tarry notes mellow. The distillery's history is broken by long silences; its buildings once stored a local cheddar. 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.

At 46% it is smooth and full. A maritime smoke over ripe fruit, and vanilla and a soft oak come from the bourbon wood. Soft smoke and brine sit behind the cask sweetness. The close is long, smoke over a sweet fruit. This is a bold, peated island single malt.