Independent Bottlers
This week I’m reviewing a single malt from independent bottler, Gordon & MacPhail. By their very nature, bottlings like this are often extremely limited, having come from a single or small batch of casks. Obviously, this means they tend not to stick around for long, and tracking down the exact release can prove difficult. However, I still think it’s worth reviewing these drams, as they can highlight the huge variety on offer when we are prepared to dig a little and hopefully it will encourage you to seek out some independently bottled Scotch.
When we first begin to explore Scotch whisky, the sheer choice available can feel a bit intimidating but a little knowledge can go a long way. Even the idea of independent bottlers can be confusing at first but they offer a route to exploration and are often sensibly priced when compared with official distillery bottlings.
No two casks of whisky age the same way and distillers vat multiple casks together in order to get a consistent flavour profile from batch to batch. This vatting process leaves the customer safe in the knowledge that they’ll be satisfied with their chosen dram time and time again but at the same time, it’s possible that something is lost along the way… A cask that matured particularly well perhaps, or one that developed some peculiar quirks of flavour over the years… A cask, unlike all the others… This is where the excitement of single cask whisky comes from.
Distilleries sell casks, sometimes to raise funds, sometimes part of an agreement with blenders and sometimes, because the whisky turned out too unique to be used in the core range. These casks often end up in the hands of independent bottlers who can release them without the pressure to stay true to a house style or to comply with a particular age statement.
One such bottler, which I’m sure will appear frequently on this site, is Gordon & MacPhail. James Gordon and Alistair MacPhail founded their family grocers, tea, wine & spirits merchant in Elgin, Scotland, in 1895. They bought casks of whisky in order to make blends to sell locally but later began to specialise in single malts, bottling whisky from distilleries like Macallan, Glenlivet, Glen Grant, Linkwood and Mortlach. Today they bottle single malts under many ranges, including The Cask Strength Collection and the MacPhail’s Collection.
This particular release, however, is bottled under the Connoisseur’s Choice label and comes from Tobermory Distillery on the Isle of Mull. The distillery was founded back in 1798, making it one of the oldest commercially operated distilleries in Scotland. Originally named Ledaig, Tobermory has seen a few rough patches over the years and even closed its doors for 41 years between the 1930s and ’70s. Production resumed in ’71 only to grind to a halt once more during the industry-wide struggles of the 1980s. Then, in 1993, Burn Stewart distillers took over and began producing an unpeated malt under the Tobermory name, reserving the original title of Ledaig for their peated spirit.
This G&M Ledaig was distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2013, making it 17 years old. In my review of the Oban 14-year-old, I wrote that I prefer to see some practical information on a label and this is exactly what I mean, not just age, but a vintage and cask history (refill American Hogsheads) as well, not to mention an assurance that no chill filtration has taken place. All of this information helps us to build up a picture of what to expect from the dram.
My first experience with Ledaig was a non-age statement distillery release which was nice but a bit young and feisty. The official releases have been improving steadily, however, and the standard 10-year-old has become a fine malt and a good alternative to Islay for those who like it smoky.
The Whisky
Smell: Smoky and grassy with salty sea air, seaweed and lemon scent. There’s a hint of kippers and Arbroath Smokies! Reminds me a bit of the Rock Oyster blended malt I reviewed in my previous blog.
Taste: Vanilla and honey with sea salt and black pepper. Medicinal, coastal smoke on the finish.
Thoughts: Indie bottlings like this can offer excellent value for money. This one cost me just £45 – which is impressive for a 17-year-old – especially when you consider the average price of 10 – 12-year-old single malts, most of which are watered down to 40%. Most of the Ledaig bottlings I’ve tried so far have been on the young side, which can work really well for smoky, coastal whisky but this one shows it can take a bit of age without losing its intensity. An excellent example of the benefits of shopping for independently bottled single malts!
For more on Gordon and MacPhail
For more on Tobermory Distillery and Ledaig
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