{"product_id":"ledaig-12-year-old-2004-gordon-macphail-cask-strength-collection-1st-2nd-fill-sherry-hogsheads-16600503-16600506-island-single-malt-scotch-whisky-2017-70cl","title":"Ledaig 12 Year Old 2004 Gordon \u0026 Macphail Cask Strength Collection 1st \u0026 2nd Fill Sherry Hogsheads #16600503 \u0026 #16600506 Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2017) 70cl","description":"\u003ch2\u003eLedaig 12 Year Old 2004 Gordon \u0026amp; Macphail Cask Strength Collection 1st \u0026amp; 2nd Fill Sherry Hogsheads #16600503 \u0026amp; #16600506 Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2017) 70cl\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA richly flavoured sherried Ledaig that despite its age, produced a large character only amplified by its 55.5% alcohol level. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArguably the most famous independent bottler of Scotch whisky there is. Gordon \u0026amp; MacPhail was founded in Elgin in 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail. It is now owned by the Urquhart Family who have bow bottled over 350 different expressions from around 69 different distilleries. Gordon \u0026amp; MacPhail is the Trading name of Speymalt Whiskies while also owning the Benromach distillery, which they purchased in 1993. Some of the brands include Connoisseurs Choice, Cask Strength, Rare Old and Speymalt.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis particular bottling was distilled on the 2nd of November 2004, and bottled on the 22nd of June 2017, making it a little over 12 years old. The whisky has been matured in first fill and refill sherry hogsheads, casks number 16600503 and 16600506.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis maturation has given the naturally powerfully peaty and maritime spirit an extra layer of depth and complexity. Drinkers should expect notes of smouldering peat, sea spray, dried fruit, baking spices and dark oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe flavours of this dram express themselves powerfully on the palate due to the fact that this whisky has been bottled at a formidable cask strength of 55.5% ABV. As always with this series, the whisky is also non-chillfiltered and free from artificial colour, ensure that the drinker gets to enjoy the spirit’s natural qualities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrawn from just two casks, this is a very small batch release,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Tobermory \/ Ledaig\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMull's only Scotch whisky distillery produces both peated an unpeated whisky for use in the Black Bottle and Scottish Leader blends, as well as for Ledaig and Tobermory single malts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is likely that in its earliest incarnation Ledaig was a peated malt, but in more recent times both peated and unpeated whisky has been made and bottled as both Ledaig and Tobermory. Thankfully, this has now been resolved with Ledaig now only being used for the heavily-peated variant. Equal amounts of both styles are currently being made.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fermentation time is relatively short, but it is the unusually shaped stills which lie at the heart of the Tobermory style. They have both boil bulbs and a strange S-shaped kink in their lyne arms, all of which increases reflux.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, the single malt bottlings are non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46.3% abv.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMull’s capital may have been built by the Stevensons of Oban [see Oban], but Tobermory’s distillery has had a more chequered career than its mainland relative and with considerably more unusual owners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was established, as Ledaig, in 1798 by John Sinclair but like many small sites, the business foundered and it seems to have been silent between 1837 until 1878 when, after a succession of owners, it was finally brought within the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/scotchwhisky.com\/whiskypedia\/5893\/distillers-company-limited\/\"\u003eDCL\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eestate in 1916. It continued to produce until 1930 when it fell silent for over four decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA belated member of a group of old distilleries which were recommissioned in the post-war whisky boom, it was brought back in 1972 by a somewhat unusual joint venture between a Liverpool shipping company, Sherry producer Pedro Domecq and “Panamanian interests”. This unusual arrangement only lasted for three years, although the new owners renovated the distillery and increased capacity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA short further period of silence ended when a property firm based in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire bought it with the intention of converting some of the buildings to holiday accommodation. Others were used as a facility for storing cheese. It closed again in 1982 for 11 years when its current owner, Burn Stewart (now part of South African giant\u003cspan\u003e Distell) \u003c\/span\u003epurchased it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn January 2017 Distell announced a major refurbishment plan for the distillery, which would force its closure for two years from 31 March. However, Tobermory's visitor centre would remain open throughout the period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e55.5% ABV\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70cl\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ledaig","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54319684813138,"sku":"LED12GMCS2004","price":119.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1052\/9737\/9666\/files\/Ledaig12YearOld2004Gordon_MacphailCaskStrengthCollection1st_2ndFillSherryHogsheads_16600503_16600506IslandSingleMaltScotchWhisky_2017_70cl.jpg?v=1787169485","url":"https:\/\/whiskysituation.co.uk\/products\/ledaig-12-year-old-2004-gordon-macphail-cask-strength-collection-1st-2nd-fill-sherry-hogsheads-16600503-16600506-island-single-malt-scotch-whisky-2017-70cl","provider":"Whisky Situation","version":"1.0","type":"link"}