What we’re drinking: Two whiskies and one gin from the Isle of Harris Distillery
Where they’re from: Located in the far northwest corner of Scotland on a small Outer Hebridean island, the Isle of Harris Distillery was founded in 2012 in the village of Tarbert. Beginning with just 10 islanders, the distillery now employs nearly 50 permanent staff on an island of fewer than 2,000 inhabitants.
Why we’re drinking these: For a relatively new distillery that only released its first whisky a little more than a year ago, Isle of Harris has already made some big waves. At the Scottish Whisky Awards 2024, the distillery took home Newcomer of the Year, Product Launch of the Year and the Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year accolades. And this comes a few years after IOH was awarded Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year at the Scottish Gin Awards, in both 2018 and 2021.
Pretty good for a distillery that’s so young, including its workforce, which averages 26 years of age and is the youngest distillery team in Scotland. (BTW, the name of the distillery’s whisky — The Hearach — comes from the Scottish Gaelic word that refers to a native of the Isle of Harris.)
The Drinking Culture of Scotland
It’s more than just whisky (but there’s lots of that, too)Besides being the extremely rare distillery that bottles everything by hand, Isle of Harris also differs from its Scotch counterparts in fermenting. “We use wooden fermenters,” explains Isle of Harris Distillery brand ambassador Robin Coupar. “You see fewer and fewer distilleries these days that are using them. Many are switching to stainless steel. It’s about turnover time; distilleries are producing very high quantities of whiskey these days using stainless steel, fermenting for about 36 to 48 hours. But we’re doing this over five days. And what you get is the microflora in the wood, which will give you more flavor.”
Let’s test these out.
How they taste: Despite the young age of the whiskies, there’s a lot to like here. These are elegant Scotches with a hint of campfire and a lot of fruit. The gin is more of a love-it-or-hate-it thing (it’s great but not for imbibers who like mellower gins).
- The Hearach Single Malt (46% ABV): Matured in ex-bourbon casks, Oloroso and Fino butts, there’s a mild salinity here and a lot of Christmas cake notes, rounded out by butterscotch, vanilla and dark fruits.
- The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured (46% ABV): Entirely matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts, this new release is non-chill-filtered and lightly (12-15 ppm) peated. That peat comes through early but gives way to something more fruity and creamy, with a rich mouthfeel and hints of chocolate.
- Isle of Harris Gin: The unique botanical here is sugar kelp (seaweed). It certainly offers a maritime flavor, with juniper, citrus and herbal notes. Not for the faint of heart.
Fun fact: The raised and rippled design on the Isle of Harris bottles is, in part, a nod to the stitching of Harris Tweed, which originates on the island.
Where to buy: You can find the whiskies directly at Isle of Harris’s website or Masters of Malt for around $68 to $75 (the gin is about $45).
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