An Island distillery has used sherry casks for the first time in the maturation process for its new limited-edition whisky.
Cnoc Na Mòine is the latest in the Legacy Series, a collection of single malts that charts the Torabhaig Distillery's journey to a ten-year-old and the experimental steps to establishing a future flagship expression that will embody the house style.
Translating to “hill of peat” in Scottish Gaelic, Cnoc Na Mòine is a peated single malt “shaped by the Isle of Skye” and said to be evocative of it's atmospheric mists and rugged beauty.
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The spirit is made by a team of nine local distillers all trained from scratch, with seasoned whisky maker Neil Macleod Mathieson at the helm.
He said: “There is an intriguing complexity to peated whisky, an endless depth to explore.
“There are many faces and moods to peat, so a balance has to be found between strength and refinement, between elegance and robustness.
“Each expression in the Legacy Series captures our progress towards this vision and is a liquid snapshot of our whisky journey here on the Isle of Skye.
“This is the first expression where sherry casks have played a part in our journey as well. The way new flavours are revealed through time with different casks is such an exciting thing for a younger distillery to discover and highlights the magic of whisky-making that can’t quite be explained, although it can be bottled.”
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On the nose, Cnoc Na Mòine offers “hints of orange peel and dying embers” with a subdued peat smoke aroma giving way to vanilla and freshly sawn oak.
The peat smoke returns to the palate before the light spirit brings in pepper, balsamic acidity and gentle spice alongside fragrant touches of cedar and leather.
The sherry influence is said to truly shine on the finish, balancing with the smoke and spice of Torabhaig spirit.
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Torabhaig is part of the Mossburn whisky portfolio which includes independent bottlings from Mossburn Distillers & Blenders and Caisteal Chamuis.
The latest addition to the legacy series comes following Torabhaig’s inaugural release, Torabhaig 2017 as well as Torabhaig Allt Gleann and Torabhaig Allt Glean Batch Strength.
For more information , visit the distillery website here.
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