Category Archives: Tobermory

#76 – Tobermory 20 Year Old (Claxton’s)

Tobermory, , ,
Distillery: Tobermory
Name: N/A
Age: 20
Chill-filtered: No
Strength: 48%
Batch No.: N/A
Bottle Size: 70cl
Price: £? (was a present)
Bottle No.: 32 of 294
Cask No.: 1501-652
Cask Type: Refill Hogshead
Distilled: 26th April 1996
Bottled: 2016
Nose: Light, straw, malty, herbal, white pepper
Taste: Slight sweetness, malt, coastal, slight spice
Finish: Long, dry, spicy
Rating: 8/10

This is an independent bottling of Tobermory 20 year old by the York based bottler Claxton’s and is Natural in colour and Non-chill filtered.

Firstly, what an awesome looking bottle, a little more awkward to pour out of, but what it lacks in practicality it makes in style 🙂

tobermory20yoclaxtons

So the nose is light and delicate with a lovely hit of straw and some subtle malt coming through. There is also a well balanced herbal note to it making it very refreshing on the nose. There is a soft spice to it on the finish like white pepper.

The palate is light like the nose with a hint of malt to it. As you hold it in you mouth for a while you get some coastal notes coming through, not too overpowering, just enough to work with the slightly sweet mid-palate leading to a soft spice. The finish itself is long and dry with the spice building to a nice fiery heat.

Overall this has been a very enjoyable dram, the whole bottle has gone down well, especially over the summer when the majority of it went. It is light and easy drinking but has some depth to it when you are in the mood to take notice.

Ledaig Single Malt

Island, Scottish, Tobermory, , ,
Distillery: Tobermory
Region: Island
Age: N/A
Chill-filtered: Yes
Strength: 42%
Batch No.: N/A
Colour: Very Light
Nose: Light and crisp but nothing complex
Taste: Fresh and lightly peated with a slight sweetness
Finish: Short, dries towards the end but not too much
Rating: 5/10
Tobermory Ledaig

Ledaig, pronounced ‘let-chick’, which is Gaelic for ‘safe haven’, is the original name for the Tobermory distillery and is now a discontinued bottling. It is still available to buy however, at a very reasonable price I might add, around £20 at time of writing. The Ledaig 10 year old is now available and is the replacement for the old no-age statement reviewed here.

It has to be one palest whisky I have had, with a very slight yellow tinge to it. For a no-age statement, budget whiskey though I was very impressed, there may be little complexity or overly powerful notes to the nose or taste, but that makes it a very well balanced, easy drinking whisky. If you like peated whisky but want a lighter peated whisky rather than something like a Laphroaig, then this is a very good choice, a fantastic value whisky.