Tobermory

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > T

TOBERMORY

geen leeftijd vermelding

40 %

COMMEMORATIVE
LIMITED EDITION 1798 - 1998
Collector's Edition
2500 bottles
Individually Numbered
Tobermory Distillers Ltd,
The Isle of Mull

Tobermory Distillery, the only distillery on the picturesque Henridean Isle of Mull, celebrated its 200 th anniversary in 1998.

To commemorate this historic occasion, Burn Stewart Distillers have commissioned this unique, limited edition bottling of Tobermory Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Tobermory, the capital of Mull, was established as a fishing village in 1788. In 1797 a local merchant by the name of John Sinclair filed an application to build a distillery, but was refused. However, one year later permission was finally granted for Sinclair to proceed, and Tobermory Distillery (or Ledaig as it was known in the early years) was founded.

The distillery is the source of two highly regarded Single Malt Scotch Whiskies - Tobermory, which is a perfect, well rounded introduction to Island Malt Scotch Whiskies, and is inregular production, and Ledaig, a heavier, smoky malt which is much sought after and only produced occasionally.

Burn Stewart Distillers have commissioned this commemorative limited edition bottle in ce¬lebration of the 200 th anniversary of Tobermory Distillery.

This bottle is one of only 2500 produced. 1967.

TOBERMORY

10 years old

40%
LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY
THE MALT WHISKY FROM
THE ISLE OF MULL
Tobermory Distillers Ltd

TOBERMORY

10 years old

40%

THE MALT WHISKY FROM
THE ISLE OF MULL
35 cl bottles
Tobermory Distillers Ltd.

The distillery at Tobermory, which overlooks the bay, was established in 1823. Today, this distillery is producing a golden treasure - Tobermory Malt Whisky.

After you have seen the bay, wandered the isle, listened to the tales of the Spanish galleon, whose golden treasure lies hidden beneath the waters of Tobermory Bay, savour a bottles of this Island gold utilising the mysterious secrets of the distillers arts which have brought together this rare example of a West Highland Malt Scotch Whisky.

TOBERMORY

Aged 10 years

40 %

Limited Edition
Tobermory Distillers Ltd,
The Isle of Mull

Tobermory Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced at the Tobermory Distillery, the only distillery on the picturesque Hebridean Isle of Mull.

In 1798 permission was granted for a local merchant by the name of John Sinclair to build a distillery on the Island, and Tobermory Distillery (or Ledaig as it was known in the early years) was born.

Tobermory which is distilled from unpeated malted barley, is light amber in colour, with a fresh, lightly peated smoky nose. The palate is medium-dry, smooth and fruity, with a rich and well-rounded finish.

Undoubtedly, the perfect introduction to Island Malt Scotch Whiskies.

TOBERMORY

Aged 32 years

49,5 %

Natural Cask Strenght
Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks
Distilled 1972
Bottled 17.05.2005
Unchillfiltered
Limited Edition
1710 Numbered Bottles
Tobermory Distillers Ltd,
The Isle of Mull

Tobermory is the only distillery on the windswept island of Mull, nestling in a corner of Tobermory's famous multicoloured bay.

When the distillery was built in 1798, nobody could have predicted the changes that would take place over the next 174 years.

In truth, the owners were consumed with more practical considerations. They would need a ready supply of malted barley, fresh water from a dark lochan above the bay, and a harbour to send their whisky into the world.

For in 1972 the world saw some momentous events. The U S President Richard Nixon made an unprededented eight day visit to China. Chess Grandmaster Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky. And a very special spirit was laid down at Tobermory, left to rest in American oak for the next three decades, finishing in Oloroso sherry casks.

Wheter or not it will change the course of world history is for you to decide

Tasting notes:

Nose: Quite complex with rich oloroso aromas. Chocolate, toffee, leather, liquorice, vanilla, figs and some smoke.

Palate: Fairly dry, evolving to rich sweet sherry. Very smooth followed by dark cho¬colate and nuts. Nicely balanced with a gingery spiciness and a developing pepperiness.

Finish: Warm and spicy with a hint of smoke, full and lingering. Ian MacMillan MasterDistiller & Blender

TOBERMORY

Aged 15 years

46,3 %

Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky
DUAL - LOCATION MATURATION
Un - Chillfiltered
Limited Edition
Tobermory Distillers Limited, Isle of Mull

The Hidden Gem

There are only a small numbers of bottles available around the world of this jewel – like

15 year old dram, but its exceptional provenance and the craftsmanship it is imbued with

are perceptible in every rare drop

Perhaps inspired by being in the world – famous Tobermory Distillery (founded in 1798 and

still the island’s only distillery), our Master Blender Ian MacMillan, a man of thirty – five

years’ experience, is an obsessively dedicated artisan and perfectionist. Not content with the

standard 15-year period of aging, he developed a rare dual – location maturation; first trans-

ferring the spirit into gloriously refined Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Sherry casks and then pain-

stakingly moving each casks from the mainland, where the whisky develops, back to the

island for its final year. Here they look out on the Sound of Mull allowing the delicate liquids

within to absorb the Inner Hebrides’ life – giving ocean mists.

With this much craft in the fine notes and delicate bouquets we have refrained from chillfiltering.

So, please expect a wonderful cloudy haze when adding water. This is natural

And is, we believe, like everything about this gem of a whisky, to be treasured

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A lovely sherried nose with notes of figs, ornage marmalade, hints of leather and a

touch of smoke

Palate: Medium to full bodied. Rich sherry fruit cake, milk chocolate, creamy toffee, light

oak, a hint of white pepper creating a lovely spicy tang

Finish; Softly spicy, tingling with a nutty note, a hint of salt, lingering then gently fades

Appearance: A tantalising natural colour of golden chestnuts

TOBERMORY

9 years old 46%
Distilled 1995
Bottled 2004
Cask Ref: MM 420
Cask Type: Fresh Sherry
Non Chill Filtered
Caramel Free
Ideal Drinking Strength
Rigorously Selected
Murray McDavid Ltd., Islay
'Clachan A Choin'

TOBERMORY

Aged 10 years

46,3 %
THE SCOTCH SINGLE MALT
WHISKY OF MULL
Distilled and Bottled by
Un - Chillfiltered
Tobermory Distillers Limited, Mull

The Western Islands

Mull

TOBERMORY also see LEDAIG
Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Argyll. Eigendom van Burn Stewart Distillers Pic. Glasgow.

De stad Tobermory werd in 1788 gesticht in opdracht van The British Society for Promoting the Fisheries of Scotland.

De Society was gesticht door een aantal grote landeigenaren, om te onderzoeken of er een mogelijk was een aantal visserij gemeenschappen te stichten aan de westkust van Schotland.
Gouverneur van de Society was de Duke of Argyll.

Zij zonden John Knox op reis om de plaatsen te inventariseren en hij vond een veertigtal plaatsen geschikt, het zouden er uiteindelijk vier worden, Tobermory, Ullapool, Lochby en Creigh.

In 1786 was John Knox op Muil en constateerde dat Tobermory één van de best beschutte baaien van de westkust bezat.
Er verschenen advertenties in landelijke dagbladen waarin zakenmensen, visserlui, een onderwijzer en een exploitant voor een te bouwen café werden gevraagd.

Tobermory werd grotendeels gebouwd door John Stevenson, toen al een entrepreneur van belang te Oban, met een eigen kleine vloot van schepen, werven, steengroeven, een bouwbedrijf en hij zou in 1794 de Oban distilleerderij bouwen.

John Sinclair was één van de huurders en vroeg in April 1797 aan de Society om een vergunning voor een distilleerderij.

In 1798, het eerste jaar, produceerde John Sinclair 1326 liter spirit. Volgens de voorschriften toen mochten de ketels tussen 136 en 182 liter groot zijn.

De distilleerderij en andere zaken van Sinclair floreerden zo dat hij op drie en veertig jarige leeftijd een welgesteld man was en zich terugtrok op zijn landgoed.
Na de dood van zijn vrouw in 1825 bemoeide hij zich ook niet meer met de distilleerderij.

De distilleerderij raakte in verval en werd gehuurd door John Clark Jnr and Partners te Glasgow die het gebouwencomplex voor opslagdoeleinden gebruikten.

In 1878 werd er opmieuw gedistilleerd en Tobermory verandere nog twee keer van eigenaar tot in 1890 John Hopkins & Co, licentiehouder werd.
De Distillers Company Ltd nam John Hopkins Ltd over in 1916.

In Juni 1930 werd Tobermory werd gesloten om pas in 1972 weer te worden opgestart.

Gedurende de tweede wereldoorlog was Tobermory in gebruik bij de Royal Navy.

In 1972 werd Tobermory het eigendom van een groep exporteurs van Liverpool, waar later ook de Spaanse sherry groep Domecq bij kwam.
De distilleerderij werd grondig verbouwd en de produktiekapaciteit vergroot van 1,59 miljoen liter tot 3,63 liter spirit per jaar.
Deze vergroting van de kapaciteit was waarschijnlijk ook de ondergang van Tobermory in 1975 toen de enige afnemer een andere leverancier vondt.

In 1976 werd de Kirkleavington Property Company van Stewart Jowett te West-Yorkshire eigenaar en in 1979 werd er 6,510 liter spirit geproduceerd en in 1980 twaalf maal zoveel.

Er werd een 'vatted' malt uitgebracht Tobermory 8 Years old, 'The Malt Scotch Whisky from The Isle of Muil' en toen sloot Tobermory weer, nu als gevolg van de recessie die er heerste in de whiskyindustrie.

De produktie zou weer worden opgestart in 1984 maar dat ging niet door.

STEPHEN WOODCOCK, DISTELL

June 2019

Stephen Woodcock oversees operations at Deanston, Bunnahabhain and Tobermory distilleries in his role with parent company Distell. Ahead of Tobermory’s re-opening this summer, he reveals what went on behind the scenes during the Mull distillery’s two-year closure and the drive behind creating its first gin.

Neat freak: Woodcock loves the whisky he makes – but loathes pairing it with food

‘I cannot understand the trend of pairing whisky with food, or whisky and chocolate, or whisky with anything else. I know it sounds cliché, but I like to enjoy a nice whisky on its own, as intended. Why would you pair something that’s so nice when enjoyed on its own? A splash of water or a rock of ice is fine, but I want my full attention on the dram. I have a very one-dimensional palate – it’s one reason why I’ll never be a blender.

‘I was born into the drinks industry, as my father owned a pub and my mother worked for Allied Distillers for 40 years. I’m a chemist by trade. I worked in chemistry for a couple of years, but the lure of whisky was never far away – I landed a role with Diageo at Port Dundas distillery in Glasgow and worked there until it closed. I moved north and my role took me to a number of distilleries and I’ve been working in whisky ever since. Distilling is just a chemical process like any other.

‘Tobermory is extremely important to the community on the island of Mull. When we closed for two years we wanted to retain the staff as we’re not tripping over distillers in Mull by virtue of being the only distillery on the island. Each distillery is a big part of the community it’s in, so we wanted to make a commitment to the locals that we’d be staying open, especially in light of the distillery’s chequered past. Over the years, Tobermory has been closed almost as long as it’s been open.

Tobermory distillery is a key feature on the small Scottish island of Mull

‘In those two years we’ve done a lot of work to the infrastructure such as replacing the roofs, all four washbacks and two stills. We’ve also been working on a gin plant with a smaller still for experiements.

‘The new stills will work slightly differently, with replaceable joints as opposed to having everything welded in place. When we come to change any of the parts, it will operate like a Formula One pit crew: rather than cutting through the still and welding it back together again like the old days, we’re using air-driven torque wrenches. Old kit out, new kit in and suddenly we’re back up and distilling. It’s quicker, but it’s also safer. Unfortunately, I’m yet to convince Andrew [Brown, distillery manager at Bunnahabhain] to go for this kind of still. He’s so traditional – he said: “I will not see a flange [a raised rim that runs along a joint] on a still as long as I draw breath”.

‘Those new stills won’t change the way we distil our whisky. If you’ve got a good thing going, you don’t change it. However, what we have done is rebranded the Tobermory 10 to a Tobermory 12, relaunching it with new, vibrant packaging. The 10-year-old was a fine dram and to be honest, we were underselling it. But rather than being cynical and just increasing the price of the bottle, we’ve premiumised it by leaving the whisky for a couple of extra years in the cask. Those two years have added a nice round maturity to the whisky, coupled with a sweetness the 10-year-old was lacking. I believe the age, the quality of the spirit and the price point now all tie together beautifully.

‘Funnily enough, we kept the visitor’s centre open and we’ve seen record numbers of footfall since the distillery was shut. Even being silent hasn’t put people off visiting us.

Tobermory’s new flagship whisky has been matured for a further two years

‘We recognised Tobermory was not doing much to tap into the uniqueness of Mull. We were the only distillery on the island and we wanted to put something through the stills that would reflect the island’s unspoiled landscape, so we created Mull’s only gin. We could have taken the easy route – you may not be aware there’s an old gin rectification house at Deanston, so Distell could have produced gin there – but we decided to make something from scratch and distil our spirit in a beautiful part of the world.

‘That was the rationale behind building our small experimental stillhouse, which is home to our little “wee Mary” gin still. The name comes from Tobermory, which is Gaelic for “Mary’s well”.

‘As an industry, whisky is often viewed as taking an awful lot from some of our natural resources without putting too much back in, but Deanston sticks out for its green credentials. Deanston was one of the first distilleries to make organic whisky, bringing in barley grown without pesticides, which lessens its environmental impact. Seeing more organic whiskies coming through would be a very positive thing for the industry. At Bunnahabhain, we’re looking at installing a biomass boiler for steam generation and we’ve stopped sending our waste co-products like draff to be turned into cattle feed. Instead, all our co-products now go to third parties who generate gas with it, so we’re feeding energy back into the grid.

‘My family home is in Speyside. From Monday to Friday, my time is split between three distilleries, so when I go home those two days are very precious to me. I love my music – I have always been a very keen guitar player. I’m not very good at it and I know that, because I can see the faces of the people in the room when I’m playing it.

‘I was also a keen rugby player, but my nickname as a full-back was “Hole In My Bucket” because I never seemed to catch the ball. Now I’m a man of a certain age, I make my voice heard from the touchline instead. However, regardless of what I’m doing, I can always manage to squeeze a dram in somewhere.’

In 1989 wordt Tobermory weer opgestart, de manager was toen John Adam.

In 1993 was Brian Whitby manager te Tobermory.

In Juli 1993 neemt Burn Stewart Distillers Pic te Glasgow, ook de eigenaars van Deanston, de distilleerderij over.
De koopsom was E 800.000 inclusief de voorraad whisky ter waarde van E 200.000 Er werd vervolgens voor E 500.000 geinvesteerd in vernieuwingen.
De distilleerderij bezit geen lagerpakhuizen, gevolg van het feit dat de vorige eigenaar deze heeft verkocht en nu in gebruik zijn als appartementen.
De whisky wordt per tankauto naar Deanston gebracht om daar te rijpen.

Het water komt van Mishnish Loch
De Mash tun is 5 ton
De vier Wash backs zijn elk 23.000 liter
De twee Wash stills hebben een inhoud

van 18.000 liter, de twee Spirit stills elk

15.000 liter en worden met stoom gestookt.
De capaciteit is 1.000.000 liter per jaar.

Van de afgelopen 63 jaar is Tobermory maar

8 jaar in produktie geweest.
De manager is (2002) Ian MacMillan.

Februari 2003
Ian Bankier, manager van Burn Stewart maakt bekend dat CL. Financial te Trinidad en Tobago, producent van rum en Angostura Bitter, die al een een aandeel had in Burn Stewart van 28,9 %, dit aandeel hebben verhoogd tot 52 %.

CL. Financial is de naam van de holding waaronder 62 ondernemingen vallen, verzekeren, financiële dienstverlening en projectontwikkeling.

In 1997 werd Angostura overgenomen en in 1998 Todhunter Rum.

CL. Financial betaalde E 48,9 miljoen voor Burn Stewart, de merknaam Scottish Leader en de twee distilleerderijen Deanston en Tobermory.

Even later neemt Burn Stewart Bunnahabhain op Islay over en het merk Black Bottle. Ian Bankier is nu (2003) de C E 0 van CL. World Brands.

Ian Bankier verlaat in 2003 C L World Brands en neemt in Februari 2004 The Whisky Shop over, een detail keten, met winkels in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Fort William, Oban en Callander, met de bedoeling de keten uit te breiden naar andere steden in het Verenigd Koninkrijk.

Owned by Burn Stewart Ltd
Percentage sold for blending: About 50 per cent
Burn Stewart blends that rely on Tobermory: Scottish Leader, Burberry's

LEDAIG 1974
Woody, slightly smoky nose, slight greeness, good rivhness on palate, green smoky finish
Kapacieit:   1000.000 liter
Waarvan 15 % gebotteld als malt
Gebruikte gerst; voor Tobermory Optic en Chariot voor Ledaig zwaar geturfrookte Prisma

Voor Iona worden Tobermory en Ledaig gemengd in een verhouding van 80/20
Mash tun;    vijf ton
Benodigd water voor de eerste gang 17.500 liter à 64 gradenvoor de tweede gang

7000 liter à 78 graden voor de derde gang 17000 liter à 90 graden

Wort: 225 hectoliter
Washbacks: 270 hectoliter
Wash per run: 225 hectoliter
4 stills met stoom verhit en s-vormige lyne-arm
Alcoholpercentage low wines: 24 %
Alcoholpercentage New spirit Tobermory: 69,5 %
Alcoholpercentage New spirit Ledaig: 68,5 %
Overwegend bourbon vaten
Het rijpen geschiedt bij Deanston, het bottelen in East Kilbride

1798

John Sinclair founds the distillery named Ledaig Distillery
1837

The Distillery closes
1878

The Distillery reopens
1890

John Hopkins & Company buys the distillery
1916

Distillers Company Limited (D.C.L.)

now Diageo, buys John Hopkins & Company
1930

The distillery closes and is used as a canteen

and power station
1972

A shipping company in Liverpool and Domecq,

the sherrymaker buy the buildings And embark

on refurbishment.

When work is completed it is named Ledaig

Distillery Ltd
1975

Ledaig Distillery ltd files for bankrupty and the

distillery closes
1979

The estate agent Kirkleavington Property Company

of Checkheaton buys the distillery forms a

new company, Tobermory Distillers ltd and starts

production
1982

No production and some of the buildings are converted

into flats and some are rented to a

dairy company for cheese storage
1989

Production resumes
1993

Burn Stewart Distillers buys Tobermory for

600.000 pound and 200.000 for the whisky Supply
2002

Trinidad - based venture capitalists C L Principal

buys Burn Stewart Distillers for 50 million pound
2005

A 32 year old from 1972 is launched
2006

A Ledaig 10 years old is launched
2008

A limited edition Tobermory 15 years old is launched

2013

Burn Stewart Distillers is sold to Distill Group Ltd
a 40 year old Ledaig is released

2015

Ledaig 18 year, a 42 year, a Tobermory 42 year

released

2019

a 12 year Tobermory released replacing the

10 year old

2020

Capacity: 1.000.000 Ltrs

Output: 5.000.000 Ltrs

A 23 year Tobermory Oloroso Finish

and Ledaig Sinclair Rioja Finish are released

2021

Distell is bought by Heineken

A new series The Hebridean i launched

June 2012
Tobermory / Ledaig Distillery has ceased making his single malt whiskies for the forseeable
future, after the loch from which the distillery its water dried up from a lack of rainfall.

While the whole of Scotland has one of its wettest starts of the summer, the micro climate
on Mull has produced a drought which has never seen here for decades.

12 April 2013
Tobermory / Ledaig distillery has been forced to stop production for the 2e time in its
history: water levels on the isle of Mull have dropped dramatically, only a 5e of the islands expected rainfall supplying the loch on which Tobermory /Ledaig depends on.

Mull only received 1,8 inches of rainfall in March, the lowest in Britain.

Water: Mishnish Loch
Mash tun: 1 x 5 tonnes
Washbacks: 4 x 23000 litres
2 wash stills x 18000 litres
2 spirit stills x 15000 litres
Output: 1.000.000 litres

1780s - Soaring mountains and glorious coastline create a majestic backdrop for ancient castles, historic monuments and our very special distillery.

Tobermory was established in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society. Until then the town had been a small farming settlement, built around the medieval church at the top of the hill.

It 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.

The 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.

Today, the single malt bottlings are non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46.3% abv.

Caermory

Iona

Ledaig

TOBERMORY

Mull’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.

It 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 DCL estate in 1916. It continued to produce until 1930 when it fell silent for over four decades.

A ťas 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.

A 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 Distell), purchased it.

In 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.

1798

Local kelp merchant John Sinclair founds

Ledaig distillery on Mull

1823

The distillery is officially licensed

1837

Ledaig distillery closes for 40 years,

not reopening again until 1878

1881

The distillery is licensed to W Campbell & Co

1890

Ledaig passes into the hands of

John Hopkins & Co

1916

DCL takes over John Hopkins & Co.

1930

Ledaig distillery falls silent for over

four decades

1972

A Liverpool shipping company,

Domecq and 'Panamanian interests'

form Ledaig Distillery and reopen the site

1975

Ledaig Distillery files for bankruptcy and

the site closes again

1979

Kirkleavington Property purchases the

distillery and established Tobermory Distillers,

reopening the site

1982

The distillery closes once more as its

buildings are transformed into holiday

lets and cheese storage facilities

1993

Burn Stewart purchases Tobermory

and its stock for £800,000

2002

CL Financial buys out Burn Stewart for £50m

2007

Ledaig 10 Year Old is launched

2013

Burn Stewart is sold to South African group Distell

CAPACITY (MLPA) i

0.85

CONDENSER TYPE i

Shell and tube

FERMENTATION TIME i

50-100hrs

FILLING STRENGTH i

63.5%

GRIST WEIGHT (T) i

HEAT SOURCE i

Steam heaters

MALT SPECIFICATION i

Plain malt (Tobermory) maximum 2ppm,

peated malt (Ledaig) minimum 35ppm

MALT SUPPLIER i

Various

MASH TUN MATERIAL i

Cast iron body, copper dome

MASH TUN TYPE i

Traditional

NEW-MAKE STRENGTH i

68%

SINGLE MALT PERCENTAGE i

15%

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L) i

16,000

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE i

Medium with reflux bowls

SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L) i

18,000

STILLS i

WAREHOUSING i

Small warehouse on site for

special edition and limited bottlings

WASH STILL CHARGE (L) i

18,000

WASH STILL SHAPE i

Medium with reflux bowls

WASH STILL SIZE (L) i

20,000

WASHBACK CHARGE (L) i

22,000

WASHBACK SIZE (L) i

25,000

WASHBACK TYPE i

Wood

WASHBACKS i

WATER SOURCE i

Gearr Abhainn

YEAST TYPE i

Bagged 'M' type strain

Distell Group

2013 - present

Tobermory Distillers

Burn Stewart Distillers

1993 - 2013

Kirkleavington Property Co

1979 - 1993

Domecq

1972 - 1975

Distillers Company Limited

1916 - 1972

John Hopkins & Co

1890 - 1916

W Campbell & Co

1881 - 1890

John Hopkins & Son

1878 - 1881

John Sinclair

1798 - 1837

Today, the single malt bottlings are non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46.3% abv.

A 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.

CAERMORY

Put simply, Caermory is a limited edition run of unpeated single malt from Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull, bottled under a different name. However, the story of its conception is anything but simple [see below].

Matured solely in ex-Bourbon casks, Caermory was initially released as a no-age-statement ‘single malt Scotch whisky from the Isle of Mull’, but has since been bottled as a 15-year-old (at 56% abv), 20-year-old (at 49.6% abv) and most recently as a single cask 21-year-old (at 48.2% abv).

The release of Caermory 25-year-old is being planned for the end of 2017.

In a word, the history of this brand is fascinating. In 1992 Harold Currie (ex-Pernod Ricard and Isle of Arran Distillers), Stewart Jowett (then owner of Tobermory distillery) and Derek Hewson (a tax and revenue consultant) planned to get Tobermory distillery, which had been silent since 1982, up and running again.

The trio created the Spirit of 1992 PLC as a Business Expansion Scheme (BES) project, which exempted investors from paying capital gains tax.

The group issued the plan to potential investors on 16 September 1992 – Black Wednesday – but luckily managed to attract investment of £750,000. Distillation started in March 1993 on Tobermory’s two copper pot stills, which hadn’t been used for around a decade.

As soon as Spirit of 1992 had finished distilling, Jowett sold Tobermory to Burn Stewart Distillers, but the BES retained the 150,000 litres of spirit it had distilled.

In 1998 the company sold what had become five-year-old single malt whisky as bulk, and bottled just 888 bottles as ‘single malt Scotch whisky from the Isle of Mull’. It wasn’t until later the whisky became known as Caermory.

Hewson had kept his own stock of 20 hogsheads in bond to allow him to release it for sale at a later date, bottled as Caermory by Hunter Laing & Co. Three single casks have been bottled to-date with an approximate outturn of 280 bottles per cask, although some hogsheads have been traded to Hunter Laing wholesale.

There are plans for a 25-year-old but this may turn on whether Hewson feels his investment would be better realised by selling his remaining stock to the trade.

1992

Spirit of 1992 PLC is established to

purchase Tobermory spirit

1993

The run of what will become Caermory spirit

is produced at Tobermory distillery

2002

The Spirit of 1992 PLC is dissolved

2008

Caermory is released as a 15-year-old

2013

Caermory 20-year-old is released

2015

Caermory 21-year-old is released

Caermory Whisky

2008 - present

The Spirit of 1992

1993 - 2002

Tobermory using unpeated malt from Simpsons, Ledaig peated malt from Port Ellen at 39 ppm

DISTELL UNVEILS LIMITED EDITION MALTS RANGE

August 2018

South African spirits company Distell is launching a new annual collection of limited edition single malts from its Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory distilleries.

Bunnahabhain 2008 Mòine Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured and Deanston 2008 Brandy Cask Finish

First Wave: Malts from Deanston and Bunnahabhain are on shelves before the rest of the range

The 2018 collection is comprised of six whiskies, each of which has been matured or finished in casks seasoned with Sherry, brandy or red wine.

Derek Scott, brand manager for malt whisky at Distell, said: ‘Using the flavour profile each brand is known for as the guide to select the finishing casks, we’ve been able to create six limited release whiskies that are not just of interest for their points of difference, but are also fantastic drams that remain true to the whisky’s style.’

Two of the six editions are available now, with the remaining four released in September.

Bunnahabhain 2008 Mòine Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured is already available in global specialist whisky stores, priced around £75.

The peated single malt, which is bottled at a cask strength of 58.1% abv, is fully matured in red wine casks from Bordeaux to provide ‘rich grape and peppery smoke notes’ with ‘hints of toffee and tobacco’ on the palate.

Deanston 2008 Brandy Cask Finish is also currently available, priced around £60. The expression, which is bottled at 56.4% abv, was matured for seven years in American oak casks before being transferred to Brandy butts for an additional maturation period, providing ‘rich oak with a distinctive dried fruit and brandy influence’ on the palate.

The remaining four expressions in the 2018 collection, which will be released globally from 12 September, include malts from Tobermory distillery on Mull – including its peated variant Ledaig – and Bunnahabhain on Islay:

Tobermory 2005 Fino Cask Finish, £110

Ledaig 1998 Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish, £130

Ledaig 1998 PX Cask Finish, £150

Bunnahabhain Palo Cortado Cask Finish, £275

Scott added: ‘We’re lucky to have three very different distilleries and this showcase will allow us to share the stories of each and highlight how these are reflected in the bold new releases.’

Mull'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.

Today, the single malt bottlings are non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46.3% abv.

CAPACITY (MLPA)

0.85

CONDENSER TYPE

Shell and tube

FERMENTATION TIME

50-100hrs

FILLING STRENGTH

63.5%

GRIST WEIGHT (T)

HEAT SOURCE

Steam heaters

MALT SPECIFICATION

Plain malt (Tobermory) maximum 2ppm,

peated malt (Ledaig) minimum 35ppm

MALT SUPPLIER

Various

MASH TUN MATERIAL

Cast iron body, copper dome

MASH TUN TYPE

Traditional

NEW-MAKE STRENGTH

68%

SINGLE MALT PERCENTAGE

15%

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L)

16,000

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE

Medium with reflux bowls

SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L)

18,000

STILLS

WAREHOUSING

Small warehouse on site for

special edition and limited bottlings

WASH STILL CHARGE (L)

18,000

WASH STILL SHAPE

Medium with reflux bowls

WASH STILL SIZE (L)

20,000

WASHBACK CHARGE (L)

22,000

WASHBACK SIZE (L)

25,000

WASHBACK TYPE

Wood

WASHBACKS

WATER SOURCE

Gearr Abhainn

YEAST TYPE

Bagged 'M' type strain

Distell Group

2013 - present

Tobermory Distillers

Burn Stewart Distillers

1993 - 2013

Kirkleavington Property Co

1979 - 1993

Domecq

1972 - 1975

Distillers Company Limited

1916 - 1972

John Hopkins & Co

1890 - 1916

W Campbell & Co

1881 - 1890

John Hopkins & Son

1878 - 1881

John Sinclair

1798 - 1837

1780s - Soaring mountains and glorious coastline create a majestic backdrop for ancient castles, historic monuments and our very special distillery.

Tobermory was established in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society. Until then the town had been a small farming settlement, built around the medieval church at the top of the hill.

1790s - The turn of the century inspired a bold new vision and in 1797 John Sinclair, a local kelp merchant, applied for the lease of 57 acres of land on the area known as Ledaig in order to build housing and a distillery.

Distilling was, however, banned in Britain between 1795 and 1797 in order to conserve grain stores for the War of the First Coalition with France. As a result, his application was rejected and he was only granted permission to build a brewery.

However, Sinclair was not a man to give up that easily. He remained true to his original plan and a year later Ledaig Distillery was established.

1930s - Over the next hundred years the distillery made its mark on the island. Nevertheless, the Great Depression of the 1930s, coupled with a decade of prohibition in the USA, saw demand for whisky plummet. The distillery would cease to operate for 41 long years.

1970s - In 1971, the Ledaig Distillery (Tobermory Ltd.) reopened and this momentous year was marked by a limited edition release. But the 1970s were to bring their own economic troubles and the years ahead were punctuated with highs, lows and further closures. The 1980s saw the distillery warehouses being converted into flats and showed signs that this was the beginning of the end.

1990s - But it seemed the tenacity of its original founder was in the very foundations of the distillery and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, it took on new life in 1993 when it was purchased by Burns Stewart Distillers.

Present - Since then our distillery has become the jewel in the island’s crown. The world has changed unimaginably since we produced our first single malt almost two hundred years ago, but we haven’t. At Tobermory we still do things the traditional way, by hand. Just the way John Sinclair would have wanted.

Tobermory Hebridean Gin was first released in spring 2019 and is a mix of neutral grain spirit with local botanicols.

Owner: Burn Stewart Distillers

Creation date: 1823

Ledaig is a brand of the distillery Tobermory.

The distillery has been founded in 1823 in the buildings of a former brewery created in 1798 by the same John Sinclair. The Tobermory distillery is the only legal one on the Isle of Mull.

In those days it was called Ledaig.

The distillery was closed between 1837 and 1878.

In 1890 it was sold to John Hopkins & Co who integrated it in the DCL (Distillers Company Ltd.) in 1916.

Closed again for more than 40 years in 1928, Tobermory reopened in 1972 under the name Ledaig. One of the companies who contributed to its reopening was the Xeres producer Domecq.

However the distillery was mothballed again in 1975.

The distillery belongs currently to Burn Stewart. Burn Stewart has been bought by a company based in Trinidad, CL Financial Ltd, who owns Angostura amongst other spirit brands. Other distilleries belonging to Burn Stewart are, Bunnahabhain and Deanston.

In 1990 the distillery resumed its activities under the name Tobermory. The distillery produces 2 different single malts. The first one, non peaty called Tobermory and the other one, called Ledaig which is extremely peaty.

The major part of the production is used in the blends of the group Scottish Leader and Black Prince, and about 50% is sold to other blenders.

Distell withholds dividend as Heineken takeover talks persist

26 August, 2021

South African wine and spirits producer Distell has withheld its dividend for 2021 financial year amid ongoing takeover talks with Heineken.

The world’s second largest brewer opened talks with Distell about acquiring “the majority” of the South African company’s business in May.

“The discussions between Heineken and Distell are progressing, but several aspects still need to be considered and ultimately agreed,” said Distell in a statement to the market. “Shareholders should take note, that although discussions have progressed, there is no certainty that the remaining aspects will be successfully resolved and agreed.”

For that reason, it has put its dividend on ice for the time being. If talks with Heineken fail to bear fruit, it will declare a dividend for the year to June 30, 2021.

Distell believes that it will be in a position to provide more detailed information to shareholders on the potential transaction before the end of Q3 2021.

Distell produces Nederburg wine, Amarula cream liqueur, Savanna cider, Klipdrift brandy and whisky brand Bain’s. It also has a Scotch whisky division featuring Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory.

It reported that revenue for the year to June 30 grew 26% to R28.3 billion ($1.89 billion), while profit increased by more than 500% to R1.9 billion ($130 million). Earnings per share increase by 227%.

For the year to June 30, 2020, no final dividend was declared due to uncer

Heineken buys Bunnahabhain parent, Distell

Big news came from Heineken this week who revealed plans to buy South African wine and spirits maker Distell Group Holdings in a €2.2 billion deal. If approved, the transaction will include an internal restructure of Distell to create two new businesses: Newco and Capevin. The former will combine Distell’s portfolio of spirits, wine, cider and ready-to-drink beverages with Heineken’s Southern Africa and export markets business, which includes Namibia Breweries and South African whisky distillery James Sedgwick. Capevin will include the company’s remaining assets, including its Scotch whisky business, consisting of the Deanston, Tobermory and Bunnahabhain brands. As part of the agreement, Heineken will own a minimum 65% stake in Newco, while Distell’s largest shareholder Remgro will retain control of Capevin. “Together, this partnership has the potential to leverage the strength of Heineken’s global footprint with our leading brands to create a formidable, diverse beverage company for Africa,” says Distell CEO Richard Rushton. “I am excited for what lies ahead as we look to combine our strong and popular brands and highly complementary geographical footprints to create a world class African company in the alcohol beverage sector.” We’re intrigued what effect this move will have on some of our favourite single malts.

Richard Rushton, Distell CEO said:

“Today marks a major milestone in Distell’s journey. Our resilient business’ stand out performance and the excellence of our people have been recognised by a much-admired Global Brewer in Heineken. The offer is testament to the strength of Distell’s leading position in South Africa and growth in select African markets, alongside the value of our brands and people providing the potential to immediately unlock significant value for our shareholders. Together, this partnership has the potential to leverage the strength of Heineken’s global footprint with our leading brands to create a formidable, diverse beverage company for Africa. We will have a stronger route-tomarket with a unique multi-category portfolio, furthering our sustainable growth trajectory and ability to compete on scale. I am excited for what lies ahead as we look to combine our strong and popular brands and highly complementary geographical footprintsto create a world class African company in the alcohol beverage sector. Our combined entity will grow our local expertise and insights to better serve consumers across the region. Heineken and Distell collectively have family-owned values with strong legacies in South Africa and are committed to continuing to play a strong role in addressing critical social and economic imperatives in the country.”Heineken’s CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board Dolf van den Brink said:

“We are very excited to bring together three strong businesses to create a regional beverage champion, perfectly positioned to capture significant growth opportunities in Southern Africa. Distell is a highly regarded, resilient business with leading brands, a talented workforce and a strong track record of innovation and growth in Africa. With Namibia Breweries Limited, there are exciting opportunities to expand premium beer and cider in Namibia and grow the iconic Windhoek brand beyond its home market. Together we will be able to better serve our consumers and customers through a unique combination of multicategory leading brands and a strengthened route-to-market. The businesses share common values derived from their family heritage, long-term perspectives, entrepreneurial spirit, and respect for people and the planet. We have successfully built our business in Africa over 100 years. Today’s announcement is a vote of confidence in the long-term prospects of South Africa and Namibia and we commit to being a strong partner for growth and to make a positive impact in the communities in which we operate.”