Any whisky lover making the pilgrimage to Scotland invariably makes their way to the west coast, and sooner or later will end up passing through Oban. Whether heading north to Skye, or south to Islay, sadly, too many travellers overlook the opportunity to jump on a ferry and head west to Mull. For it is there that a small, hidden gem awaits: The Tobermory Distillery – home to the whiskies of Tobermory and Ledaig.
The 45 minute ferry trip from Oban chugs slowly through the isles & islands, and on a sunny day, it’s an incredibly scenic and relaxing ride. Alighting at Craignure, you then have a 10 minute drive north-west on a very rare, luxurious strip of dual-lane road before it transitions to the main highway system of Mull: The single lane track with a passing bay every 100 metres! (Wherever you’re driving to on Mull, don’t plan on going any faster than 40-50km/h, and get used to pulling over incessantly to let oncoming traffic pass you). A further 30 minutes driving from there, and you reach the exceptionally quaint and attractive town of Tobermory.
Multi-coloured houses, shops, cafes and pubs hug the road that, in turn, hugs the harbour. You sense immediately that it’s a relaxed town with that classic, relaxed “island” way of life. The distillery is located at the southern end of the harbour, but it’s an unassuming building and would take a trained eye to pick its purpose in life. That, or the ability to read – some well-placed signage gives the game away.
My day at the distillery was a particularly warm and sunny one, and I was greeted and hosted by the immensely charming, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic Alison Brown. Alison manages the Visitor Centre, whilst her husband, Graham, is the Distillery Manager. They’ve been a part of the community here for 17 years, and you sense their warm attachment to the place.
The distillery was founded in 1798, but has had anything but a smooth and continuous history of operation. When the current owners, Burn Stewart, purchased the distillery in 1993, Tobermory had been making whisky for just eight of the previous 60 years! All the current equipment at the distillery dates from 1972 when a major overhaul and refurbishment was undertaken.
It’s a small distillery that has transitioned with the times and responded to the ever-changing whims of the industry. The original warehouse was sold off and is now a block of flats; and the original maltings floor is now a store. There is no warehousing on site (save for a small, token, almost “display” warehouse store), and all spirit is tankered off site for filling into cask at sister-distillery, Deanston. Casks are matured at both Deanston and Bunnahabhain distilleries.
(Click on the images to enlarge)
Two variants of whisky are made here: Unpeated Tobermory, and the heavily peated Ledaig. (Ledaig was originally a separate village to Tobermory and, in fact, the distillery actually went by the name of Ledaig from 1972 until 1993). The malt for Tobermory is sourced from the east coast, whilst the barley for Ledaig is malted at Port Ellen and weighs in at a respectable 39ppm. Production between the two is 50/50 and thus each variant gets a six month run before they switch over to the other.
Production is relatively traditional (noting the 1972 equipment), and so mashing is a slow-ish nine hours as they push through five tonnes of malt with 27,000 litres of water and undertake eight mashes per week. Fermentation times are 50 to 80 hours, depending on whether it’s a short or long ferment for the weekend. There are four wooden washbacks and two pairs of stills. The wash still is charged with 18,000 litres of wash and runs for nine hours. The spirit still is charged with 15,000 litres of low wines and runs for just over 15 hours, six hours of which is the middle cut. The stills feature unusually snaking lyne arms which no doubt trigger a degree of reflux.
The Visitor Centre has been well set up and furnished, with a welcoming room resembling something like an 18th century church (complete with pews!) for showing the obligatory introductory video, and then a great little tasting room off to the side. Alison is at home behind the bar and is both generous with her drams and wisdom as we plough through an impressive line up of whiskies. Burn Stewart made the glorious decision a few years ago to stop chill-filtering their core-range expressions and to bottle them at 46.3%, and the whiskies shine as a result.
It had been a very long time since I’d last sampled the entry-level Tobermory 10yo (over a decade ago!), but sitting at the distillery on a sunny Tuesday morning, I’d swear the new Tobermory 10yo was one of the best island drams I’d ever enjoyed.
- Tobermory 10yo: Maritime and salty, yet with wonderful hints of fruits and florals. Wonderfully gentle yet complex.
- Tobermory 15yo: Obviously shares some traits with its 10yo sibling, but it’s both bigger and drier. There are beautiful aromas of mince pies and fruit cake notes on the nose.
- Tobermory 19yo Distillery-Only bottling: Bottled at 58.2%, this spent 10 years of its maturation in pedro ximinez casks, and the result is simply stunning. Glorious PX notes on the nose, and with a huge finish that pulls in butterscotch and spice (including white pepper!)
- Ledaig 10yo: The peat is soft and the dram is light-bodied. If you’re expecting something Laphroaig-like, you’re in the wrong place. If you’re expecting a coastal, island dram with a touch of smoke and some earthy goodness, you’ll be a happy drinker!
- Ledaig 16yo, PX cask finish: Bottled at 57.2%, the sherry masks the peat initially, but the sweet, raisiny-like nose is absolutely stunning. There are notes of dark caramel, coastal spray, malt and peat, and the dram is vibrant and alive. A genuine highlight of this particular trip, and a dram worth searching for.
- Tobermory 32yo: The hallmarks of great age and good maturation are evident, and the nose displays some bourbon-like sweetness & vanilla. The oak is just starting to tip the balance on the palate, but it’s incredibly enjoyable and a dram to sit back with and sip as the sun goes down.
As our early morning tasting drew to a close, the Visitor Centre was starting to fill up with groups looking for a tour. I could have stayed and blethered for hours, but it was clear Alison and her team were going to have a busy day. I mentioned I was going to head to Iona for the afternoon, and she very kindly gave me some special Isle of Mull cheese made with Ledaig whisky for my travelling lunch. I confess it was tasty stuff!
My sincere thanks to the team at Burn Stewart for accommodating me, and especially to Alison for her personal time, enthusiasm, and generosity.
Cheers,
AD
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If you’re planning a trip to Tobermory, I recommend staying at the Western Isles Hotel. If you have a keen interest in medieval history, be sure to find time to head across to Iona to see the Abbey and ecclesiastical ruins. Whilst it’s a very slow, difficult, and – at times – dangerous drive, I also thoroughly recommend taking the B8035 road around the western perimeter of Mull from Loch Beg up to Salen. Just don’t knock any sheep off the cliffs on your way. For any Australians taking this drive, you should also stop at Gruline and visit Lachlan Macquarie’s Mausoleum. Of course, it’s nothing but a small tomb in a grassed garden, but we should pay our respects to arguably our most influential and celebrated founding father.
One of the many ruins on Iona.
