Craggy rocks, white-sand seashores and mountains that plunge into the ocean. The Hebrides, an archipelago off northwest Scotland, is understood for its dramatic landscapes; a lot much less so for updated whisky.
Whereas the island of Islay is densely populated with famous-name distilleries, legendary for robustly peated drams, the mainstay of producing within the the rest of the Hebrides has, for 200 years, rested with Jura on the eponymous island, Talisker on Skye and Tobermory (initially Ledaig) on Mull. Only a few others have come and gone, or produce whisky on a lots smaller scale.
There must be one factor throughout the pure Hebridean water, nonetheless, as a result of the earlier decade has seen these wild islands welcome a model new wave of distilleries, collectively shaping a distinctly Hebridean identification.
A model new interval
In 2015, Anderson ‘Burr’ Bakewell based mostly Isle of Harris Distillery, the first licensed operation ever constructed on the island. Eight years later, The Hearach Single Malt was launched and acquired out in a matter of hours.
Isle of Raasay Distillery was the next cab off the rank, opening in 2017, moreover marking the first licensed distillation on its home island; its inaugural offering purchased out sooner than its official launch.
That exact same yr, Torabhaig grew to change into the second licensed distillery on Skye – the first since 1830. Launching its Legacy Assortment in 2021, the distillery launched new strategies of fascinated concerning the spirit, along with hiring whisky newcomers straight into the group. The considered the switch is that, free from the constraints of customized, creativity can flow into further freely beneath the expert steering of whiskymaker Neil Macleod Mathieson.
North Uist Distillery (positioned not on North Uist itself, nonetheless on the neighbouring island of Benbecula, on its west coast) fired up its stills in 2019; Benbecula Distillery (on its north coast) in 2024. Every revive heritage grains grown regionally, with Benbecula incorporating foraged heather into its peat fires.
Each distillery produces drams that replicate its surroundings: coastal salt spray, wisps of smoke and heather be a part of sweetness from the famously pure Hebridean water. Trendy cask finishes – akin to crimson wine and oloroso Sherry – soften the edges of whiskies that are gentler than their Islay cousins.
Typical methods are blended with the model new. All through the islands, modernist distilleries stand out from the rugged terrain. Among the many many diversified releases, a model new Hebridean whisky identification is rising, as daring and stunning as its landscapes.
Want to know further?
You’ll uncover these single malts on-line or in good bottle retailers. Nevertheless why not make a go to to the annual Hebridean Whisky Pageant in September or uncover the year-round Hebridean Whisky Path?
A Hebridean whisky to aim…
Torabhaig The Legacy Assortment Cnoc Na Moine
Isle of Skye, Scotland
‘Tempered peat’ defines the house kind of Torabhaig on the Isle of Skye. Flavours are sculpted for rugged class: aromas of brine, leather-based, smoked honey and bonfire meet charcuterie, cinnamon, candied coconut and heather. Alcohol 46%