Ledaig 10 Year

The first pour was exactly what I was looking for...super briney. Ever since then it's been way too much. Like drinking sea water.

When I had this, I suddenly thought, "What is up with this weird ABV that somehow Bunnahabhain and Ledaig both decided would be their bottling strength?" Google quickly informed me that the two have shared ownership, which now makes sense. Ledaig is a peated scotch from the Isle of Mull, a bit south of Islay, and in everything but geographical origin basically is an Islay scotch. It has a nice, peaty entry, with a warm, buttered toast, crispy-crust smoke, but also a healthy dose of new-log-on-the-campfire aroma. Other than that, I get a citrus lemon or lime combination very similar to Kilchoman Machir Bay and Ardbeg 10, with just a hint of minerality. The palate is sweeter than those two, but the flavors don't pop quite as much. Its light, pleasant sweetness kind of makes me imagine what a peated Glenmorangie would be like. The finish is mellow peat, woodiness and grassiness, salt and brine, and then a bit of tang or acidity at the very end. This scotch reads to me like a more mature version of Machir Bay, but I'm missing some of that youthful energy. They are quite close, though, and honestly I would mistake one for the other easily in a blind tasting.