Online Allocation Sold Out
Now In Stores Only
Maximum 1 Per Customer
We have received stock of Batches 11 and 12.
The Hearach, Isle of Harris Single Malt is a whisky which truly reflects the best of the island's home and the local men and women who make it. ‘Hearach’ is the Scots Gaelic name for a native of the Isle of Harris. The final whisky, created by the hands of Harris people and influenced by island elements, is a spirit of great character and complexity. We are looking forward to sharing this historic dram with you from the 2nd of October 2023, but meantime here are some answers to the questions that may come your way before then...
When is the launch? The Second Hearach Release will be available online and in all Ellie's Cellar stores to buy from 26th Mach 2024.
Will it be a peated whisky?
It will be a lightly peated dram, at around 12-15ppm. Our aim is to create a whisky of character, complexity and balance. No one flavour should dominate.
What casks have you used to mature the whisky? Our inaugural release uses First-Fill Bourbon casks from Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill, as well as Ex-Oloroso and Ex-Fino butts from southern Spain.
Why did you opt for Oloroso and Fino Sherry casks? Our original idea was to use only ex bourbon American oak and ex oloroso European oak. We bought a few European oak fino butts as an experiment and discovered that they added a special something when combined with the other 2.
How many batches are in this second release? The second release will include Batch 9 - 12
How many bottles are in each batch? There will be around 13,000 bottles per batch.
Will each batch taste the same? There will be consistency across releases but potential for some natural variation between each. We are a small distillery with a limited number of casks to choose from. We hope that everyone will recognise the signature flavour of The Hearach but will find something different in every batch. In true ‘enemies of average’ style whilst most of the distilleries aim for consistency, we would like to celebrate the small differences.
How old will the liquid be when launched? No spirits in The Hearach will be younger than 4 years old. The exact age of the youngest spirit will depend on the casks selected. Some casks will mature faster than others. We are not overly concerned about age- it is quality that matters.
Why are we not putting an age on the bottle? The Hearach is made from several whiskies of different ages so an age statement would not reflect that of the final dram.
What makes the Hearach special/different? At its simplest, it is distilled, matured, blended, married, and bottled here in Harris by local men and women who take a ‘hands-on’ approach at every stage. Our dram is therefore woven from the influence of both people and place and cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.
What does it taste like? There are so many complex layers of flavour, and it will be different for everyone. But, our blender Shona Macleod gets a gentle peat smoke on the first sip which reminds her of island home fires burning when she was growing up. It comes along with a toasted maltiness. She can also taste homemade apple sauce and smell machair flowers, particularly white clover which springs up on our west coast every summer. Mixed spices appear, and an old-fashioned sweetness from things like candied ginger, vanilla, and honeycomb. Finally, there’s a long, clotted-cream note, mixed with a lasting sense of new leather.
Will bottles be shipped in the individual boxes? Yes, every bottle comes in a bespoke presentation box.
