A world-renowned Island distillery will release four new batches of its single malt this week, following an inaugural launch last year which sold out online in just four-and-a-half hours.
The Hearach is the long-awaited first whisky to be produced by the Isle of Harris Distillery which has become a household name thanks to its popular sugar kelp-infused gin.
Named after the Scottish Gaelic word for a native of Harris, The Hearach is matured in first-fill bourbon, as well as oloroso and fino sherry casks, before being further ‘married’ for a minimum of 12 weeks.
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The new batches, numbered 9, 10, 11 and 12, will remain true to The Hearach’s “lightly peated, complex, and elegant flavour profile”, with subtle variations in each release due to differences in individual casks, barley peating levels, marrying times and distillers’ cut-points.
Simon Erlanger, managing director at Isle of Harris Distillery, commented: “Having just recovered from the whirlwind of our inaugural release in September, the team have been working hard to prepare the next batches.
“Selecting the casks to match the flavour profile is a painstaking process carried out by Shona and Harry, our distillery blenders.
“We are continuously surprised to discover how each batch differs subtly from the others- we look forward to reading the tasting notes from whisky lovers around the UK.”
Every drop of the single malt whisky has been distilled, matured, married, and bottled in Harris, with around 12,000 bottles of each batch available to purchase.
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Just as before, the new batches will be presented in a distinctive glass bottle and bespoke packaging, with the introduction of the new white stopper seal bearing the unique batch numbers.
This number can be researched on the distillery’s website to provide numerous distilling details surrounding the particular batch creation, alongside a short story, and tasting notes from a local islander.
Ahead of the release, blender Shona MacLeod, has detailed the tasting notes of batches nine to 12 of The Hearach.
She said: “The second whisky release from the distillery, the new batches of The Hearach, Batch 9 through 12, offer spring flowers and ripe fruit on the nose, followed by sweet caramel.
“Light smoke on the first sip is followed by poached pears and toffee apples, with a lingering mixed spice finish.”
Opened in 2015 to create sustainable employment for their island community, the Isle of Harris Distillery has one of youngest distilling teams in Scotland, with four local men and women with an average age of just 25 years old, working under the mentorship of head distiller Norman Ian Mackay.
A founding team of just 10 has now grown to include over 45 full time employees.
READ MORE: Young distiller on how island spirit has given locals a 'rare' opportunity
Rebekah Morrison from Bowglass, who first joined the Distillery as a cafeteria worker aged just 17 before going on to apply for a distilling apprenticeship, told the Herald last year: “It’s very rare to find a job like this on the island.
“I always assumed I’d have to move away to find a career that I was passionate about.
“The sense of community on Harris is unlike anywhere else and it makes working there really special.
“It sounds cheesy, but it’s true.”
The Hearach batches nine, 10, 11 and 12, will be priced at £65 per bottle and available to purchase from 10am tomorrow, Tuesday March 26, online at www.harrisdistillery.com or at partner retail stockists across the UK.
For more information visit the Isle of Harris Distillery website here.
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