When individuals speak about historic drinks, sure pictures are conjured up in our thoughts’s eye on the mere point out of particular tipples.
Discuss mead for instance, and also you’ll possible consider Viking invaders sipping this honey-based tipple from a carved horn after a tough day of pillaging. Consider ale, and also you’ll think about roaring open fires in wooden-clad ye-olde taverns within the English countryside. Consider single malt Scotch whisky nevertheless, and you’ll’t assist however consider the weathered and picturesque wilderness of the Scottish Highlands and islands.
The Isle of Harris, for instance, is just not solely dwelling to implausible shoreline and panoramic mountain vistas, it’s additionally dwelling to an distinctive new whisky and gin distillery, generally known as the Isle of Harris Distillery.
The distillery gives up the beginning of historical past in liquid type, and there’s no tipple set to be extra historic than their inaugural single malt, Hearach whisky.
Situated on the Outer Hebrides, to the northwest of Scotland, you’ll find the Isle of Harris – The most important island within the Outer Hebrides. Located right here amongst the weather-beaten coastal surroundings is the Harris Distillery.
Within the picturesque space of Tarbert lies Harris’ first ever authorized distillery. In contrast to lots of Scotland’s different distilleries, the Harris Distillery is just not a distillery shrouded in historical past, relationship again centuries. Actually, it doesn’t even date again many years because it was solely based in 2015. Regardless of that nevertheless, the distillery is already producing really distinctive spirits, and are doing their half to make historical past.
The distillery has seen greater than £10 million invested in its building, but it was most actually cash effectively spent. They’ve already submitted plans for a bigger warehouse and are doing their half to be as eco-friendly as attainable.
In Autumn of 2023, The Isle of Harris Distillery launched their first ever single malt – The Hearach, and the evaluations have been extremely constructive.
The Hearach – The Begin of One thing Particular
The Hearach isn’t simply another whisky, that is an historic whisky. Why? As a result of it’s the first authorized dram from Harris.
The Hearach will get its title from the demonym ‘Hearach’ which references the inhabitants of Harris in Gaelic. Up till 2015, the small island was bereft of each whisky, and its producers. The Isle of Harris Distillery has modified that, and is now paving the way in which for whisky manufacturing within the area for many years, and hopefully centuries, to come back.
After almost 170 years, whisky is as soon as once more produced on Harris, this time legally, with out having to fret about these pesky excisemen.
Taking every part that’s nice about Harris, and the Hebrides usually, The Hearach makes use of Outer Hebridean water, which is extremely delicate and packed filled with minerals it picks up because it flows over a few of the oldest rocks on the planet.
The weather additionally assist form this distinctive whisky. The fierce Atlantic winds assist hold it good and funky in the summertime, whereas staving off snow within the colder winter months. This temperature regulation implies that the balanced local weather is ideal for whisky maturation, due largely to the truth that there aren’t any excessive fluctuations in temperature. If there’s one factor whisky loves, apart from time, its consistency, and Harris’ climate is most actually that.
Matured in first-fill ex-Oloroso, ex-Bourbon, and ex-Fino Sherry casks, this whisky makes use of 100% frivolously peated Scottish Concerto barley. The peat, which was hand reduce, comes from ‘Cleite Mhôr the place peat has been harvested responsibly by hand for generations. It advantages from a chronic fermentation, operating for as many as 5 days earlier than maturing in a mix of the three casks. It’s the contrasting flavours, notes, and aromas discovered throughout the three casks that basically helps to offer Hearach its superb depth and flavour.
