Tobermory Distillery
One Distillery and Two Whiskies
This distillery was opened in 1798 as Ledaig Distillery. It is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. It has had a rocky history over the years and is now called Tobermory Distillery - Tobermory being the name of its location on The Isle of Mull.
Ledaig and Tobermory are the names of the two, very different whiskies produced here at the Tobermory Distillery. But more about that later.
The Isle of Mull (or simply Mull) is the second-largest island of the Inner Hebrides (after Skye) and lies off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute.
Covering 875.35 square kilometers (337.97 sq mi), Mull is the fourth-largest island in Scotland. The population is around 3000 making it the eighth largest island population in Scotland.
About Tobermory
Tobermory was built as a fishing port in the late 18th century on the Northern tip of the Isle, and is the main town on Mull. It is a picture-postcard of a place with the brightly painted buildings along the main street to the pier and the high woodland-fringed hills surrounding the bay. The town has a good variety of shops, hotels and other accommodation as well as being the administrative centre for the island. The harbour is always busy with fishing boats, yachts and the ferry to and from Kilchoan. Tobermory is the location of a UK children's television show Balamory.
There is reputed to be the wreck of a Spanish galleon somewhere in the mud at the bottom of the bay. The ship was part of the defeated Armada of 1588 and was fleeing the English fleet when she anchored to take on provisions. Following a dispute over payment the ship caught fire which caused the gunpowder to explode. She was supposed to have been carrying millions of gold coins when she went to the bottom but no-one has ever managed to find any significant treasure.
The Distillery Story
Established in 1798, Tobermory was founded by John Sinclair, and he named his distillery 'Ledaig'. Which is Gaelic for 'safe haven'. Like many Scotch Whiskies, the pronunciation is not obvious…. Ledaig is pronounced “Letch-Ick”.
It all started a year earlier, in April 1797, when Sinclair applied for 57 acres to the south of the harbor in order to build houses and a distillery. Distilling had been banned in the UK since 1795 in order to save grain for the War of the First Coalition with France. He was told to build a brewery instead which is strange as brewing also uses grain, but he held out and finally got permission for a distillery. And to get goods in and whisky out, he built a pier known as "Sinclair's Quay".
The distillery had many ups and downs over years. It was mothballed, reopened and sold again and again. The last long production pause lasted from 1930 until 1972. After thorough renovations a newly founded company, Ledaig Distillery (Tobermory) Ltd. reopened the distillery in 1972. However, only 3 years later it went bankrupt. In 1979, it was rescued again by another new company called Tobermory Distillers Ltd. and production was resumed. But again, they couldn't last longer than 3 years and the distillery was back in mothballs in 1982.
In 1991, Burn Stewart Distillers, who also own Bunnahabhain and Deanston, took over Tobermory, paying 600 thousand Pounds plus 200 thousand Pounds for the stock. A more stable era seemed to have begun. But the only constant thing in this distillery’s life is change itself, and Burn Stewart was bought by CL Financial for 50 million pounds in 2002.
The subsequent years were successful, and when Burn Stewart were again sold in 2013 to the South African Distell Group Ltd., the value had increased to 160 million pounds. There is money in the whisky business!
The Two Whiskies
The Distillery now produces 2 whisky brands: Tobermory and Ledaig.
Tobermory is the signature unpeated single malt whisky, and is known for its bright, fruity notes with hints of citrus, oak, and subtle sweetness.
Ledaig is the distilleries peated whisky. It delivers a rich, smoky flavour with earthy undertones.
There are core ranges of both whiskies, which are created under the watchful eye of Master (or should that be Mistress ?) Blender, Julieann Fenandez.
I have a bottle of Ledaig from the “Sinclair Series”. It is made with heavily peated barley before being matured in an ex-Bourbon cask, and finished in a Spanish Rioja Cask.. This single malt contains powerful flavours of smoke, spice, grape and sweet berries, with a lingering saltiness.
Tasting Notes:
Aroma: Rose petals balanced by candied fruits and grapes. Leather and a peppery spiciness and a hint of chocolate.
Taste: Creamy with full-bodied almond notes, sweet malt and typical Ledaig pepper. Raspberries, sweet vanilla and cocoa follow with cinnamon and freshly cut grass.
Finish: Persistently smoky with red fruits and seawater.
Don’t be put off by the thought that this is a heavily peated whisky. It is not. But while this whisky is good, the best bit is the price. This bottle is available for less than 45€. Every home should have one!