Ledaig 10 – Island Peat, and Better than I remembered it

Ledaig is the brand name for the peated whisky coming out Tobermory distillery on the island of Mull.

Mull Panorama
Photo Credit: southernhebrides.com

Ledaig represents about a half of the annual output of Tobermory, and was created to replicate the old style, but also to supply the needs of the Black Bottle blend, which used to rely on whisky from each and every distillery on Islay, As mentioned in the Tobermory 10 review, all of the entry level expressions from Burn Stewart Distillers have gone to 46.3% ABV, and are not chill filtered or artificially colored.

I tasted the Ledaing 10 a few times, and I have to say that my appreciation for the workmanship and quality of it is has gone up with each tasting. I mentioned that a 16 year old Ledaig is available at the distillery only, and I hope to review it at on point or another.

Photo Credit: wallywine.com

Ledaig 10 Years Old (46.3% ABV, NCF, NC)

Appearance: Deep gold, slow and thin legs.

Nose: Honey with light clean peat (which is interesting, since Mull is just north of Islay and has the same maritime exposure), light sour citrus, malt and light vanilla notes.

Palate: Smoke and pepper, with notes of vanilla, citrus peel and a freshness combined with a slight bitterness before you swallow. The body of this whisky is full.

Linger: Peat in the mouth with a sweetness on the tongue, light dryness on the inside of the cheeks and a long peppery linger with touches of peat.

Conclusion

This is a very good introduction to peated malts for the uninitiated. But not only. While not an Ardbeg or a Laphroaig peat monster, this expression is complex enough and peated enough to hold your interest and makes for a good tipple. Being 46.3% and non chill filtered or colored, it probably delivers a better value than other, comparably priced, 10 year old expressions on the market.

Tasted at Derech Hayayin, the Shaked (official importer of Burn Stewart Distillers) store chain.