Distillery

Tobermory whiskies

Tobermory is the only distillery on the Isle of Mull, in the Inner Hebrides, and it stands in the village of the same name, famous for its coloured houses by the harbour. It produces two very different malts: Tobermory, unpeated, light and fruity; and Ledaig, heavily peated, with intense smoke and maritime character. It is a small distillery that has gone through long closures in its history.

Founded
1798
Owner
Origin
Islands, Scotland
In the catalogue
3 whiskies

History, style and where to startSee it on the world map

  • Tobermory distillery, photo 1 of 3
    Photo: DeFacto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Tobermory distillery, photo 2 of 3
    Photo: Lobster1 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Tobermory distillery, photo 3 of 3
    Photo: Andrew Abbott · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)

3 whiskies

Guide to Tobermory

History

The distillery was founded at the end of the 18th century and is one of the oldest in Scotland. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries it closed and reopened many times, and during some periods its buildings were used for other purposes, such as a power station or a canteen. In the seventies it started working again under the name Ledaig, the old name of the place, which is now used for its peated malt. At the beginning of the nineties it passed to Burn Stewart Distillers, which promoted both malts. In the 2010s it was refurbished, and today it also produces a gin.

House style

Tobermory, unpeated, is light and fruity: apple, citrus, honey, cereal and a briny touch. Ledaig, heavily peated, combines smoke, salt, seaweed and pepper with fruit and sweetness. Both malts are bottled at a good strength and without chill filtration. The house plays with bourbon and sherry casks. The older versions of both malts gain complexity, with more dried fruit in Tobermory and rounder smoke in Ledaig.

Average flavour profile of its 3 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
2.3
Fresh fruit
2.0
Ripe and dried fruit
1.3
Floral and herbal
0.8
Cereal and malt
1.8
Vanilla and creamy
1.2
Oak
1.7
Spicy
2.0
Toasted
1.7
Smoky
2.3
Maritime
2.0
Body and intensity
2.8

Where to start

Tobermory 12 Year Old is the smoke-free way in: fruity, fresh and with a briny touch. Ledaig 10 Year Old is its counterpoint, very smoky and maritime. Trying the two one after the other is a great lesson in the effect of peat. Drink them neat or with a few drops of water. If you like Ledaig, compare it with Talisker or the Islays; if you prefer Tobermory, with other light island malts, such as Arran.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

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