Ledaig 2010 TWJ (The Whisky Jury)

This Ledaig was an independent The Whisky Jury bottling, a 10 year old island malt from 2010, drawn from cask 04014-2 and bottled at 54.1%. Just 141 bottles were filled. Ledaig is the heavily peated single malt of Tobermory distillery, the only distillery on the Isle of Mull, founded in 1798. Ledaig, the old name kept for the peated malt, means safe haven in Gaelic.

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. At this age the smoke is fierce and ashy, the brine and medicinal note sharp. Sea air works into the island maturation, lending Ledaig its briny, coastal edge. 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 a hearty 54.1% it carries real weight. A sooty smoke with tar and brine, and the Oloroso lends raisin, walnut and a dried fruit richness. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with sea salt. A long, peaty finish smoulders to the end. This is Ledaig's smoky, maritime single malt.