Whisky: Isle of Harris "The Hearach" Batch 4 2023

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 46%

Cask: Bourbon, Oloroso, Fino

Age: NAS (Bottled 6 July 2023)

Nose: Heather, hay, and a field of burned grass; a touch of citrus, ginger, and patchouli; oranges and dried chili peppers with a strong earthiness that turned toward burned sage and a mellow barn quality.

Palate: Medium to light-body; hay and dry grass with earth, monkey pod trees, citrus, and a kiss of smoke; charred oranges with wildflowers and heather; a kiss of salt; swimming pool chemicals and wood toward the end.

Finish: Long and lingering with mellow orange, fruit, pepper, and wood.

Score: 7 (82)

Mental Image: Indoor Barnyard Swimming Pool

Narrative & Notes: A delightfully complex melange of summer-scorched grass, hay, wispy smoke, and aromatic citrus rinds and resins wafted out of the glass with a touch of funky barnyard and earth. A touch medicinal at times with herbs and swimming pool chemicals. The palate had a similar structure and profile, with more oranges and florals interspersed between dried grass and earth. The finish was impressively long with fruit, wood, and a bit of youthful pepper.

This malt made for an impressive introduction to the Isle of Harris Distillery— a touch youthful at times but otherwise remarkably well-integrated and balanced. I found that the earthy elements and the hints of barnyard funk, rather like dank grasses or musty hay and old wood, lent this a charming uniqueness. It did not feel like just another new distillery replicating a well-trodden experience.

Overall, a quality first impression.

Image Credit: Isle of Harris Distillery