Skye-based distillery Torabhaig has launched Taigh as the primary single malt in its core vary, in collaboration with Scottish poet Iona Lee.
Taigh is crafted in small batches and matured in first-fill and refill Bourbon casks with the addition of Madeira casks. It’s described as an expression that ‘defines the distillery’s home model’.
The discharge follows the distillery’s Legacy Collection, which incorporates Allt Gleann, Cnoc Na Mòine, and Sound of Sleat.
Bottled at 46% ABV with no chill filtration or added color, the only malt gives mild smoke notes alongside vanilla custard, toasted almonds, candy dried fruits, and warming spices on the palate.
For Torabhaig, ‘Taigh’ (pronounced ‘tie’), that means ‘home’ in Scottish Gaelic, represents extra than simply the restored Nineteenth-century steading that holds the stills; it embodies a broader sense of residence.
The phrase displays the land, sea, and group of Sleat, in addition to the folks concerned in making the whisky.
Established in 2016 by Mossburn Distillers, with distillation commencing the next yr, Torabhaig is one among two single malt distilleries positioned on the Isle of Skye.
Neil MacLeod Mathieson, Torabhaig whisky maker, mentioned: “Taigh is the center of Torabhaig. It captures the whole lot we’ve been working in the direction of since we first began distilling – a whisky with class, stability and character, the place smoke enhances the flavour fairly than dominating it.
“First-fill Bourbon barrels have at all times been the signature of Torabhaig and permit our ‘smoke with style’ philosophy to shine. However the addition of Madeira on this expression brings a softening roundness to the spirit that we predict makes this whisky particularly welcoming.”
Torabhaig Taigh is now accessible globally with a recommended retail worth of £40 (US$52) for a 700ml bottle.
Inventive collaboration
To have a good time a brand new chapter for the distillery, Torabhaig has collaborated with Scottish poet Iona Lee on an unique piece impressed by its island residence on the Sleat Peninsula.
The partnership is alleged to embody the distillery’s perception that whisky is influenced by tradition as a lot as by the casks during which it’s aged.
Within the coming months, Lee’s poetry can be showcased via performances, movie, and editorial content material, extending Torabhaig’s sense of place past Skye.
Lee commented on the partnership: “Taigh is a phrase that carries heat, reminiscence and accountability. Writing about Torabhaig’s residence on Sleat has been about listening carefully to the land, the climate, the folks and the tales that reside there.
“Poetry, like whisky, takes time, consideration and care. It was essential to me that these poems replicate the house of Torabhaig truthfully, as a dwelling, working whisky distillery formed by those that comprehend it finest and whose affect will be tasted in each dram.”
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