Craggy rocks, white-sand seashores and mountains that plunge into the ocean. The Hebrides, an archipelago off northwest Scotland, is known for its dramatic landscapes; much less so for modern whisky.
Whereas the island of Islay is densely populated with famous-name distilleries, legendary for robustly peated drams, the mainstay of manufacturing in the remainder of the Hebrides has, for 200 years, rested with Jura on the eponymous island, Talisker on Skye and Tobermory (initially Ledaig) on Mull. A couple of others have come and gone, or produce whisky on a a lot smaller scale.
There should be one thing within the pure Hebridean water, nevertheless, because the previous decade has seen these wild islands welcome a brand new wave of distilleries, collectively shaping a distinctly Hebridean identification.
A brand new period
In 2015, Anderson ‘Burr’ Bakewell based Isle of Harris Distillery, the primary authorized operation ever constructed on the island. Eight years later, The Hearach Single Malt was launched and bought out in a matter of hours.
Isle of Raasay Distillery was the subsequent cab off the rank, opening in 2017, additionally marking the primary authorized distillation on its residence island; its inaugural providing bought out earlier than its official launch.
That very same 12 months, Torabhaig turned the second licensed distillery on Skye – the primary since 1830. Launching its Legacy Sequence in 2021, the distillery launched new methods of excited about the spirit, together with hiring whisky newcomers straight into the group. The concept of the transfer is that, free from the constraints of custom, creativity can circulate extra freely beneath the knowledgeable steerage of whiskymaker Neil Macleod Mathieson.
North Uist Distillery (situated not on North Uist itself, however on the neighbouring island of Benbecula, on its west coast) fired up its stills in 2019; Benbecula Distillery (on its north coast) in 2024. Each revive heritage grains grown regionally, with Benbecula incorporating foraged heather into its peat fires.
Every distillery produces drams that replicate its environment: coastal salt spray, wisps of smoke and heather be a part of sweetness from the famously pure Hebridean water. Revolutionary cask finishes – corresponding to crimson wine and oloroso Sherry – soften the sides of whiskies which might be gentler than their Islay cousins.
Conventional methods are blended with the brand new. Throughout the islands, modernist distilleries stand out from the rugged terrain. Among the many assorted releases, a brand new Hebridean whisky identification is rising, as daring and shocking as its landscapes.
Need to know extra?
You will discover these single malts on-line or in good bottle outlets. However why not make a visit to the annual Hebridean Whisky Pageant in September or discover the year-round Hebridean Whisky Path?
A Hebridean whisky to strive…
Torabhaig The Legacy Sequence Cnoc Na Moine
Isle of Skye, Scotland
‘Tempered peat’ defines the home fashion 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%
