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Ledaig (Ledchig) – an unusual peaty whiskey from the Scottish Isle of Mull. A drink with a bright fruity taste and sea aroma is produced in small batches by the Tobermory distillery. The plant is considered the Scottish record for downtime, in total, production has been mothballed for over 100 years. Since 2013, the owner of the enterprise is the South African company Distell Group.
Historical information
The Ledaig Distillery in Tobemory was founded by soda ash merchant John Sinclair in 1798. The authorities urged him to build a brewery in the town, but the entrepreneur did not give up trying to get a license to produce whiskey. Several times Sinclair was refused, but in 1823 permission was issued, and the distillery began official work.
In the first third of the 1841th century, the factory successfully produced whiskey and was inherited by the Sinclair family, but in 1972 the company went bankrupt and the company closed. In the future, the owners often changed, and the distillery was more often idle than it worked. In XNUMX, an attempt was made to revive production, but three years later the lines were mothballed again due to the fact that the place to store whiskey had run out.
For a long time, the revival of the distillery remained a big question. The situation changed when Burn Stewart Distillers acquired the distillery in 1993. The enterprise with all the stocks of old whiskey cost the company an extremely low amount of 800 thousand pounds sterling.
The first priority of the new owners was to disinfect the distillery. The workshops have long been used as rooms for maturation of cheese, and wild yeast could spoil the must. The second question was the choice of style of drinks. The company decided to produce two types of whiskey – peaty Ledaig and regular Tobermory from barley from the neighboring island of Islay.
The first bottling of Ledaig 10 Year Old at the renovated plant took place in 1996. A single malt whiskey with a strong smoky aroma and a multi-faceted fruit flavor has been praised by experts. This was followed by the release of drinks with an age of 15 and 18 years, and in 2016 Tobermory was bottled with an exposure of 42 years, which was called the oldest and rarest example of the island whisky.
Production features
The company uses the resources of the mountain lake Mishnish Loch, located in the mountains. Malt is brought from the city of Port Ellen, which is located on the island of Islay. Fermentation takes place in four Oregon pine containers, each with a capacity of 92 liters. Part of the copper stills had to be replaced in 2014 due to wear and tear. The company ordered new units, completely retaining their shape with a spherical base. Since the area of warehouses does not allow to store significant stocks of whiskey, most of the products for aging are taken to the factory in Deanston.
Awards:
- World Whiskey Awards 2015 – Best Island Whiskey;
- International Spirits Challenge 2015 – gold medal;
- The Spirits Business 2016 – мастер;
- International Wine & Spirit Competition 2016 – gold medal;
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2015, 2016, 2017 – double gold.
Interesting Facts
- The hallmark of the Tobermory distillery was a photograph of the embankment with colorful houses that are reflected in the water. According to one legend, the dwellings were painted in bright colors by sailors so as not to confuse the entrance when returning home drunk.
- South African company Distell Group bought the plant for £160m, 200 times its original cost in 1993.
Types of whiskey Ledchig
Ledaig 10, 46,3%
A drink of light golden color with a strong aroma of the sea, salt, iodine and creosote. Taste is the exact opposite of smell. The bouquet combines sweet dried fruits, herbs, creamy toffee and vanilla, seasoned with strong smoky undertones. Finished with white pepper, licorice, cloves and salted caramel.
Ledaig 18, 46,3%
Copper colored whiskey aged in sherry casks. The aroma contains honey melon, algae, sea salt and spices. On the palate, shades of wine, orange peel, coffee, tobacco and herbal smoke stand out. The finish is long and rich, with hints of peat and liquorice.
Ledaig Moscatel Finish 20, 53,1%
A limited edition vintage whiskey aged for the last 3 years in Moscatel sherry casks. In a thick aroma, wine shades come to the fore, which are joined by caramel, pepper and smoky tones. The taste is rich in nuances of grapes, wood, citrus and spices. Peaty notes intensify at the finish.
