Our new arrival is the penultimate release in the Hebridean Series from Tobermory Distillery: Tobermory 26 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish.
In fact, the Isle of Mull distillery unveiled TWO limited-edition whiskies at the same time! This week we have a two-for-one, thanks to the supplementary launch of Ledaig Triple Wood.
Tobermory 26 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish is here!
Tobermory 26 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish
The 26-year-old whisky follows the 23-, 24- and 25-year-old bottlings in the series, which launched in 2021. The series will conclude with a fifth and final whisky next year.
All the whisky in the range comes from a 2008 vintage single malt Scotch that was originally part of the stock reserved for the discontinued Tobermory 15 Year Old. This was a popular expression, so the decision was made to keep some of this excellent liquid and see what happened to it as it aged. The Hebridean Series has followed this same parcel of Scotch year after year, so next year we will see the remaining batch become a 27-year-old single malt. So it was originally a single malt aged for 15 years and then moved into oloroso sherry casks, meaning our new arrival has had 11 years of “cask finishing”, or to give it a more accurate description, a secondary maturation.
The bottle itself is presented in a box adorned with a photo of a white-tailed eagle, of which Mull holds the largest nesting population. The Scottish island has a remarkable wildlife scene, with eagles, otters, red deer, seals, whales, dolphins, and basking sharks all native or regular visitors. We’ve spoken before about the connection wildlife cameraman and Mull native Gordan Buchanan has with the brand, and it is his photography that has been used on the bottle’s label. You can scan a QR code on the presentation box to learn more about the
The are only 4,560 bottles of Tobermory 26 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish being released worldwide, each presented at 49.2% ABV, all natural colour and non-chill filtered.
Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan
Ledaig Triple Wood
The second big release was Ledaig Triple Wood, a name which rather gives the game away as to what this whisky is all about: three cask types married together in beautiful harmony by Tobermory’s Master Blender, Julieann Fernandez. Namely bourbon rioja, and tawny Port finishes. The whisky is bottled at 53.8% ABV and we have a neat little tasting video on our Instagram page that you can watch if you’re into that sort of thing.
Proceeds from the Ledaig Triple Wood production will be contributed to the Mull and Iona Community Trust, aiding in the conservation of the island’s biodiversity and benefiting the local community. This initiative is part of a two-decade-long effort to rejuvenate, safeguard, and improve the biodiversity of Ardura’s Atlantic rainforest, combating the challenges posed by climate change. By preserving rare species of fungi, plants, and lichens, the project aims to support the survival of some of the UK’s most endangered birds and animals, while also generating job opportunities.
“We are very excited to introduce these two incredible new releases — each inspired by the island we’ve been lucky to call home for almost 230 years,” says Fernandez. “Crafting expressions which not only take inspiration from, but also give back to, the community which has contributed to every drop of our whisky is such an honour for a master blender, and I could think of no better partners than Gordon and the Mull and Iona Community Trust to make this dream a reality. Both expressions are a true reflection of the two distinguished liquid profiles which define Tobermory Distillery.”
Excellent stuff. Let’s have a taste!
Don’t forget about Ledaig Triple Wood!
Tobermory 26 Year Old tasting note:
Nose: Oak char, toasted brown sugar, dates, mandarin, strawberry laces, apricot yoghurt, cinnamon pastries. Throughout there’s the dark and black fruits that shine in older sherried Tobermory.
Palate: The whisky opens with wintery spice, blackcurrant jam, fig rolls, and orange zest. It’s simultaneously big and rich with flavour and boats a tongue-coating texture, but is also elegant and refined with its fruitiness, which is really what Tobermory does best.
Finish: Long and composed with black pepper, red chilli warmth, Hessian, and bramble berries.
Ledaig Triple Wood tasting note:
Nose: Through BBQ smoke there’s praline, candied pear, and cinnamon. It has a big, sweet rich quality, like Werther’s Originals dipped in caramel sauce.
Palate: Red wine red fruit sweetness, soda bread, marine salinity, herbal liquor, biltong, dark chocolate, salted nuts, and some earthiness.
Finish: Ash and cherry linger with a little toffee, some minerally-rock pool qualities, and peppery spice.
You can buy Tobermory 26 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish and Ledaig Triple Wood now, just click the links through the product page.
