The Hearach

Profile: The Hearach at a glance

• THE HEARACH - Harris Single Malt Whisky - The First Release
• Matured in 85% exBourbon-, 11% exOloroso-Sherry- & 4% exFino-Sherry-Casks

Portrait: What makes The Hearach special.

On September 23, 2023, the Isle of Harris Distillery presented its Single Malt Whisky “The Hearach” in a celebratory ceremony ago, exactly eight years to the day after the distillery opened.
A historic moment for the island of Harris, as it is the first ever legally distilled there Whisky.
Even more important is the importance of the distillery and its products for the economic situation on the island, which has so far been characterized almost exclusively by tourism, tweed and fishing and has led to the emigration of many “Hearachs” (the Gaelic word for the residents from Harris).
The Isle of Harris Distillery has now become an important employer on the island and will employ almost 50 people in 2023.

The single malt whisky is something special - none Another distillery in Scotland has such soft water(flows over Lewisian Gneiss, one of the hardest rocks in the world, where even diamond drills reach their limits and which releases virtually no minerals into the water).

In complex production, in which more time and attention is given to each step than is usual in the industry and with the best barrel management and the very best maturing conditions in the warehouses spectacularly located on the Atlantic, the single malt is created with a lot of time and composure - Because as they say in Harris:  “Life takes time”.

…and so at Harris Distillery the question about the release of the first single malt has always been answered with the sentence: “It's ready when it's ready!”

The first release was created from 85% exBourbon casks, 11% exOloroso sherry casks and 4% exFino sherry casks.

The youngest portions are 5 years old, the oldest almost 8 years old. 
The result is a lush island malt with a phenol content of 12 -15 ppm - of course in natural color and without chill filtration.

Tasting Notes: This is what The Hearach tastes like

• Nose: homemade applesauce and the scent of machair flowers, clearly white clover

• Palate: gentle peat smoke and a toasted malt note, along with spices and an old-fashioned sweetness from things like candied ginger, vanilla and honeycomb

• Finish: long finish with an intense Clotted cream note, plus new leather