Scotland, Isle of Mull. Distillery operational. Owner: Burn Stewart Distillers, Distell.

Founded in 1798, the Isle of Mull's only distillery was, from 1972 to 1975, known as Ledaig, before being renamed Tobermory. From this now confidently assumed dual identity came two single malts with two completely different profiles. Whilst such a difference can result from different distillation methods, in this case it primarily comes down to whether or not the malt is peated. The Tobermory malt therefore becomes either Ledaig (Mr Hyde) when expressing its heavily peated, mysterious side, or Tobermory (Dr Jekyll) when revealing its more accessible, unpeated and easy-going profile. This, alongside maturations that veer from one extreme (first fill Oloroso) to another (refill bourbon), provides a glimpse of just some of what this multi-faceted distillery has to offer.Whether you prefer Ledaig or Tobermory, one thing is certain, the 1972 vintage aged in a first-fill sherry cask is in a category of its own. Whether in a distillery version or independent bottling, these expressions go through the ceiling when released for sale. Collectors take note!

A Ledaig distilled in 1974 and bottled in 2000 by Gordon & MacPhail for the Rare Old range. Gordon & MacPhail is one of Scotland’’s oldest independent bottlers. It was founded in Elgin in 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail. As was often the case at the time, the business started out as a delicatessen and wine merchant. In 1915, John Alexander MacPhail retired and a new partner joined the business, John Urquhart. He was joined by his son George in 1933, a few years after James Gordon sadly died in a car crash. Gordon & MacPhail works with many of Speyside’’s leading distilleries, from whom it has accumulated considerable stocks. It is also licensed to bottle whiskies for many of them, including Glen Grant, Linkwood, Mortlach, Macallan and Glenlivet. The business really took off in the 1970s, acquiring distributors in a huge range of countries and selling casks to several Italian bottlers in selections that would become legends in their own right. Gordon & MacPhail is still run by the Urquhart family today, from the same building, and is one of the most iconic bottlers in the industry, with incredible stocks of sometimes very old and rare whiskies. The company is in complete control of the entire maturation process. Gordon & MacPhail has also owned the Benromach distillery since 1993. The Connoisseurs Choice range is one of Gordon & MacPhail’’s spearhead collections. Gordon & MacPhail’’s Rare Old range featured some of its rarest casks, notably from closed distilleries. It was discontinued in 2018.