The Isle of Harris Distillery has released four new batches of The Hearach single malt Scotch whisky, following the inaugural release in September 2023 which sold out online in just four-and-a-half hours.
Bottled at 46% ABV, without any artificial colouring or chill-filtration, 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, to bring additional harmony to the whisky’s flavours.
The second whisky release from the Outer Hebrides distillery, the new batches of The Hearach, 9, 10, 11 and 12, 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.
As before, each batch is beautifully presented in a stunning glass bottle and bespoke packaging, with the introduction of the new white stopper seal bearing the unique batch numbers. This batch 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.
Every drop of The Hearach, named after the Scottish Gaelic word for a native of Harris, has been distilled, matured, married, and bottled in Harris, with around 12,000 bottles of each batch available to purchase.
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!”
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.
The Hearach joins the multi-award-winning Isle of Harris Gin in helping the distillery to fulfil its purpose of contributing to the island economy and creating job opportunities – growing from a founding team of 10 in 2015 to over 45 full-time employees in 2024.
