Origin: Isle of Mull (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 46.3%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and ex-Rioja wine
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Distell Group Ltd.
Average price: € 45.00
Official website: tobermorydistillery.com
Vote: 81/100
After several independent bottlings, we return to those produced directly by the Tobermory distillery in its peated version, Ledaig. with one of the newest additions to their portfolio.
Part of the Sinclair Series, created in honour of founder John Sinclair and inaugurated in late 2020 with this very bottle, it’s currently still the only release under this line.
Aged for an undisclosed length of time, it has been finished in casks that contained Spanish red wine (the Rioja), in homage to the Spanish galleon that sank just off the island of Mull more than four hundred years ago, said to contain great treasures. And the reference to this story, both in the colour of the distillate (all natural) and in the packaging, is very marked.
Whisky, as we know, is also storytelling, and this is as good an excuse as any to justify the choice of these casks…
Tasting notes
The peat opens up very exuberantly on the nose, expressing in short a strongly marine and salty soul, of smoked herring and olives in brine, with dates, baked apple, blood orange and liquorice root as spectators. It also has a vein between metal and rubber, more intense in length, slightly disturbing.
In the mouth it’s a lively bonfire on the beach, with touches of pepper and ginger on the browned shellfish, with slices of blood orange, tamarind, berry tart, liquorice and a few pine needles to give a soft balsamic streak.
The finish is quite long and ashy, with orange, liquorice and salt.
A rather simple whisky, without a lot of frills, which for the chosen price range is more than acceptable, pity though for that unpleasant note on the nose that appears with every sip and ruins part of the pleasure of drinking.