Ledaig Duthie's 13 Year Old

The city of Tobermory is the capital of the Isle of Mull - but did you know that it was originally called Ledaig? It was also the original name of the distillery we now know as...Tobermory. Much like Springbank, which gives different names to the different styles of whisky it produces, Tobermory has both its namesake whisky (lightly peated) and a heavily peaked malt called Ledaig. What I am tasting here is an independent bottling from Cadenhead's, in their Duthie's range, at 13 years old. Duthie's bottlings are non-coloured and non-chill filtered, but they are not single cask, and in this case it is diluted to 46%. I am tasting a sample so I don't have too much more information to provide, and the Cadenhead's website does not list this whisky.

The colour is very light, pale yellow. One sniff and you get peat smoke carried by lemon pith, savoury herbs, very light honey sweetness, tangy citrus. Water brings out more peat and lemon, and adds some liquorice! Quite bracing!

In the mouth, there is less smoke but some white pepper, lemon zest, bandages, and wet rubber boots. Salty and rather medicinal. Water gives the whisky more body and a silkier mouthfeel, though still very puckish with the salt and the citrus.

The finish is very long and smoky, and gets deeper with time. Grassy notes are developing into wet hay. This has many elements of the Kildaton Islay distilleries - very briny and medicinal - which I like very much. But it is not a hugely complex whisky. I can see myself sipping it by the fire on a cold but bright and sunny afternoon. When I first tasted it, I had it side-by-side with the standard Ledaig 10 bottling (which I liked a little better). Right now, I would have loved to try it with the Tobermory 10, which would be an interesting comparison.

Find where to buy Ledaig whisky