It’s been an exciting twelve months as we’ve continued on our whisky journey here at North Uist Distillery. With distilling equipment ordered, our cask offer sold out and the bere barley ripening on the machair, it really feels like time to celebrate!

As part of the second annual Hebridean Whisky Festival we will be throwing open the doors at Nunton on September 4th and welcoming whisky lovers from near and far to Nunton Steadings for a day of tastings, tours, and much much more.

We hope that you can join us to raise a glass or several to the next stage of our journey, and to the joys of uisge beatha in general.

Slàinte!

Tours will be held throughout the day on September 4th, with our dream team leading visitors through the history of Nunton and the future of North Uist Distillery whisky. See our historic island home, visit the fields where our bere barley will be grown, learn about the grain to glass process that will make our Hebridean whisky so very special and ask all of your burning questions to our distiller and NUD co-founder Jonny.

Join us for ticketed whisky tastings with our very special guest, Iain Faller from Island Spirit Whisky Shop in Stornoway. Iain will be leading this Hebridean whisky tasting exploring the flavours and tasting notes of four Hebridean Whiskies. There will be two tastings throughout the day, one at 12pm and one at 2pm, and the selected whiskies will be for sale after the tasting.

Whisky Tasting 12-1pm

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Whisky Tasting 2-3pm

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Our friends at Lochmaddy Bay Prawns will be with us, gracing the courtyard with their presence and cooking up a storm of freshly caught local shellfish – a  perfect accompaniment to a drink from the Island Life Bar, which will be serving whisky cocktails alongside delicious Downpour G&Ts and soft drinks.

Grab a drink and pull up a pew for our free 3pm screening of Hebridean whisky cinema classic, Whisky Galore. The film will be shown in the main hall at Nunton, right in the very spot where our own whisky will soon be flowing.

Based on Compton MacKenzie’s 1947 novel, Whisky Galore tells the story of the SS Politician, which ran aground in 1941 on the island of Eriskay with a cargo that included 28,000 cases of malt whisky. At the height of wartime rationing and with government officials keen to reclaim their cargo, it is needless to say that chaos ensued.

(We will be showing the 1949 version. A poll was held, opinions were had, judgements were questioned, and the OG film won with a landslide 338 votes to 30. Thank you to everyone who took part.)

We will be joining the other five distilleries that make up the Hebridean Whisky Trail on Saturday September 9th, for the ultimate celebration of Hebridean whisky at Talisker in Skye. The festival finale will see all six distilleries pitched up in the breathtaking location and offering whisky lovers the chance to sample all of their offerings. We will be there with the award winning Downpour Gin range and look forward to seeing you there!

Tickets for the Hebridean Whisky Festival Finale concert at Talisker Distillery, featuring Charlie Mckerron & Friends, are available below.

BUY TICKETS

Golden Dram: Win a £345 bottle of whisky

You could win a stunning bottle of Tobermory 25 Year Old! Purchase any 70cl from the Tobermory Distillery range during the month of August to enter. We will randomly selected one winner from the entrants and send them a prize bottle when the Golden Dram closes – best of luck!

Free Next Day Delivery for 12 Months For just £14.95 you can enjoy free next day delivery on all your orders for a whole year! Geographic restrictions apply, see full T&Cs. Find out more ❯

Whisky Fest.

We are extremely excited to share that our very first North Uist Distillery Whisky Festival is coming up in less than three weeks as part of the Hebridean Whisky Festival.

On September 4th we will be throwing open the doors at Nunton and welcoming whisky fans for a day of tastings, tours and much much more.

If you have a few days spare you might even want to make a week of it. Organised by the Hebridean Whisky Trail, the festival runs from September 2nd – 9th with events at six fantastic Hebridean distilleries. Start in Jura on on the 2nd, and travel north through Uist to Harris, then hop over to Skye and visit Raasay, before the Festival Finale with all six distilleries gathering at Talisker in Skye on the 9th for the ultimate celebration of Hebridean Whisky!

Keep an eye on your inbox next week for the complete programme of events at Nunton, as it’s definitely going to be a date for your diaries, and in the meantime you can grab your ticket for one of two whisky tastings we’ll be holding on the 4th right now!

Whisky Tasting 12-1pm

BOOK NOW

Whisky Tasting 2-3pm

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Win a M&H special relaxed edition bottle! (Details below)

Maltstock 2023

Only 6 more weeks!

(or less)

We hope everyone is enjoying a very relaxed summer. At the Maltstock HQ it’s getting rather busy. All in a very relaxed way of course. It’s now less than 6 weeks until Maltstock. If you want to join the relaxed fun but haven’t got your ticket yet please do not wait too long. We have very limited tickets including accommodation left.

Maxxium relaxed!

Tony is the Dutch Glenfiddich Ambassador. He is very well known and even more loved! And very relaxed as well, because he has not missed a single edition of Maltstock. Only a few people can say that. Tony has done some amazing tastings already at Maltstock (remember the pyjama tasting, or the polonaise last year?). And of course he’ll be back this year! Maltstock just wouldn’t be the same without Tony.

This year Tony will guide the relaxed retox walk on Saturday morning. And he will be hosting a couple of “drinks with…” sessions. These will definitely be different because Tony won’t be alone. The very relaxed Melody will be joining him for a Glenfiddich meets Highland Park session. Not to be missed! We’re also told that Meldody has a lovely voice, so who knows, she might even sing for us.

Eriks Single Grains – More than a filling

Erik Vanfrachem has been around in the whisky scene for a while. And he is one of the few people to know how a ‘70’s Ardbeg will improve a cake (just ask him). He is also well known for his love of good single grains. We’re very happy he has agreed to join us at Maltstock and bring some grains from his personal collection. “Single grains – more than a filling” he likes to call it. You will be given the opportunity to try good single grains. But also to have a go at blending.

Please note that since these whisky’s are all from his private collection, it won’t be for free. But Erik has promised it will be priced (very) relaxed. So please do visit him at some point during the weekend and be ready to be pleasantly surprised  (and maybe get that cake recipe).

Win a M&H special relaxed edition bottle!

Have you all seen Tomer’s Facebook post? The very relaxed Milk and Honey Distillery has released a special Maltstock edition for the third year in a row! This year Jonathan Gonen had blended a very special edition using a very rare cask type. If you can guess which type op cask this is, you just might be the lucky one to win a bottle!

There’s a lot more we have to tell you, but we’ll save that for our next newsletter.

Have a wonderfully relaxed day!

Bob, Klaas, Stan & Teun

Shop

Want get relaxed NOW and enjoy Maltstock in September?

Simply get your ticket here: https://www.maltstock.com/shop

Two French Oak
Single Cask Whiskies

On Monday we release two French Oak single cask whiskies. This release showcases the breadth of what French oak can offer: the rich and decadent flavours of a first-fill French Oak ex-Tawny cask, and the unrivalled complexity and finesse that a longer, gentler French Oak Second-Fill maturation gives.  Each cask brings something unique, and both make for world-class whisky.

French Oak Second-Fill TD0201

This whisky showcases remarkable character. Much-loved French oak is heightened by juicy pops of Sullivans Cove spirit, and balanced by a touch of salinity. Depth, nuance, and an exquisite interplay of flavours are all alive and well in TD0201. Matured for 15 years, in a second-fill 300L French oak ex-Tawny cask, yielding just 459 bottles of Sullivans Cove single cask whisky.

Read the full tasting notes here

French Oak ex-Tawny TD0405

Caramelised meets creamy, sweet meets spiced, and dark meets bright. TD0405 breaks the confines of the tasting wheel and proudly says “I bet you didn’t expect that.” Miranda Lidgerwood – Sensory Team

Matured for 9 years, in a first-fill 300L French oak ex-Tawny cask, yielding just 477 bottles of Sullivans Cove single cask whisky.

Read the full tasting notes here

These whiskies will be released via ballot. The ballots will open for 24 hours from 10am Hobart time on Monday 21st of August. Further details will be sent via email prior to the ballots opening.

A note on our ballot system. 

Our policy is one entry per person, per household, per ballot. Our fraud detection algorithm detects multiple entries and removes them to ensure our whisky lands in the hands of our genuine supporters, so to ensure your entry counts, please enter each ballot once only.

*BALLOT UPDATE*

To ensure more people have the opportunity to enjoy our whisky, entrants can only win one ballot even if they enter both. If you have any questions around our ballot process, you can email us at info@sullivanscove.com Successful entries will be notified shortly after the ballots close.

Elijah Craig Bourbon Releases Limited-Edition Toasted Barrel Finished in European Oak Barrels

Commemorating the 2023 Ryder Cup 

(AUGUST 9, 2023) Today, Elijah Craig is proud to announce the release of its Limited-Edition Toasted Barrel finished in European Toasted Oak Barrels to commemorate the 2023 Ryder Cup. Earlier this year, Elijah Craig announced a multi-year partnership which makes the Bourbon brand the “Official Bourbon” and a Worldwide Supplier of the biennial competition.

This limited edition starts with fully-matured Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon and finishes it in new European Oak barrels that have been toasted with a profile inspired by those used in the Lazio wine growing region. Lazio wines are grown in and around Rome, Italy, where the 2023 Ryder Cup is being held at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club September 29^th through October 1^st.

The European oak, with its ability to integrate flavors subtly and softly, effortlessly balances the sweetness and spiciness of the Lazio-inspired toast profile and the elevated bright fruit character from the fully-matured Elijah Craig. This edition leads with a nose of caramel and crème brûlée and once tasted, the bright fruit notes burst onto the palate after initial notes of baking spices. The finish is moderately long and is dominated by spice. This release represents a marriage of the U.S. Team’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – America’s native spirit – with the famed wine growing region and host city of the European Team.

Speaking about the release, Max Stefka, Group Product Director, Elijah Craig Bourbon, said: “We are thrilled to raise a glass to the 2023 Ryder Cup with this new limited-edition release of Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel. The unique marriage of toasted European Oak and our extra-aged Kentucky Bourbon offers a taste experience fit for one of the world’s greatest sporting events.”

Guy Kinnings, Ryder Cup Director, added: “Elijah Craig’s award-winning Bourbon is going to further elevate the spectator experience in Rome, and their new limited-edition bottle will both taste incredible and become a sought-after souvenir commemorating the greatest team contest in golf.”

Jeff Price, Chief Commercial Officer, PGA of America, said “The PGA of America is ecstatic to have Elijah Craig as part of the 2023 Ryder Cup experience in Rome. This extraordinary limited-edition release of the Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel is the perfect way to celebrate the world’s premier golf competition.”

Each bottle will be adorned with a neck label featuring the Ryder Cup trophy, a gold coin emblazoned cork featuring the Ryder Cup logo, and a face label prominently featuring the “Official Bourbon” designation and Ryder Cup logo. The bottles will come packaged in a gift box which further details the story of this one-time offering. The Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Ryder Cup Limited Edition release will become available nationally in August on an allocated basis with an SRP of $99.99.

Elijah Craig continues to leave its mark on the golf world, where it is also known as the Official Bourbon and Whiskey Supplier of the PGA of America, PGA Championship, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and an official partner of the PGA National Club Championship. Elijah Craig is also “The Official Bourbon” of PGA TOUR Professional Golfer Max Homa, sports broadcaster Amanda Balionis-Renner, and the AT&T Pebble Beach Tournament.

About Elijah Craig Bourbon

Known as “The Father of Bourbon,” Elijah Craig is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels to make Bourbon. The clear, unaged corn whiskey became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Elijah Craig’s community impact continues through Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week, providing total donations of up to $300,000 to date to organizations supporting the hospitality industry. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and led distillery and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon, the Elijah Craig lineup includes: Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Elijah Craig’s accolades have included Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year, Best Small Batch Bourbon and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon and Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon at Whisky Magazine’s 2023 World Whiskies Awards. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com. Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”

About Ryder Cup Europe

Ryder Cup Europe – which comprises representatives of the European Tour (60%), of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (20%) and the Confederation of Professional Golf through the vehicle of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust (RCEDT) (20%) – owns the rights of the Ryder Cup when the competition is held in Europe.The European Tour group is the Managing Partner and has prime responsibility for all matters concerning the European Team; the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland is the Founding Partner; and the Confederation of Professional Golf is responsible for the management of the Trust, which is the Development Partner.

About the PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 28,000 PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Our series of weekly whisky Journals continues this week as we share more information about our forthcoming release of The Hearach Single Malt. Last week’s Journal was full of answers on how to buy your bottle on 23.09.23, and what to expect when you visit our online store and Tarbert shop.

The week before also answered your most frequently asked questions so if you missed either emails or want to know more then simply click HERE and HERE to get all caught up. This week, we invite you to meet The Hearach itself, and learn everything from how it got its name to what to expect when you finally get to enjoy the dram.

Read on to learn more, and if you still have something to ask then drop me a line and I’ll try to answer your query.

Slàinte mhor, and as ever here’s to The Hearach!

Le gach deagh dhùrachd,

Mike Donald, Chief Storyteller

Be Here With Us In Harris – 22.09.23 and 23.09.23

WHAT IS ‘THE HEARACH’?

The Hearach is the first (legal) single malt whisky to come from the Isle of Harris, our small Outer Hebridean island situated off the north-west coast of Scotland.

WHY IS IT CALLED ‘THE HEARACH’?

‘Hearach’ is a Scottish Gaelic word which simply means ‘a native of Harris’. We chose this word for our whisky as we wanted it to represent the people of our island, and capture much of their character and home.

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE ‘THE HEARACH’?

We know Gaelic words can be tricky to say! And even Gaelic speakers can pronounce things a little differently depending on where they come from. So, to help you along we’ve made a fun wee film featuring our fellow islanders. Feel free to “Say The Hearach” with us and send us your best efforts.

WHERE IS YOUR WHISKY MADE?

Every drop of our whisky is distilled at the distillery in Tarbert. We also ‘marry’ our recipe here in Harris, and all the maturation takes place in our warehouses in the coastal village of Ardhasaig just a couple of miles away.

WHO MAKES YOUR WHISKY?

The Hearach is made by local men and women, each trained from scratch in the art and science of distilling. Right now, we have a young team of of distillers with a team of four having an average age of 25, all led by head distiller Norman Iain Mackay. The youngest is Rebekah Morrison from the village of Bowglass, who is just 21 years old.

HOW DOES HARRIS INFLUENCE YOUR WHISKY?

We believe we use the softest water of any distillery in Scotland, which flows over Lewisian Gneiss, some of the oldest rock on earth. Island pace of life and Sunday traditions are reflected in our longer fermentations, while the stable climate of Harris is very conducive to maturation. We also prefer a hands-on operation to bring the final human touch from local people to our spirit.

WHAT DOES ‘THE HEARACH’ TASTE LIKE?

We believe our dram will be different for everyone, as we all have different tastes and memories associated with smells and flavours. We’re also releasing our whisky in batches so there may be subtle variations in flavour between each. So, we don’t have official tasting notes and instead will provide accompanying words from local people and friends from further afield.

GREAT…BUT WHAT DOES ‘THE HEARACH’ REALLY TASTE LIKE?!

Ok…well, it’s a lightly peated dram, full of complexity and character, and the patient drinker will enjoy a revelation of flavours over time. Our blenders would say it’s floral and fruity with sweet spices, and that the long finish has a gentle smoke. But, be sure to share your own thoughts with us when the time is right…

WHAT SORT OF CASKS ARE USED?

We mature our spirit in hand-picked first-fill Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace bourbon casks (American White Oak / Quercus Alba), along with oloroso and fino butts (Spanish Oak / Quercus Robur) from Andalusia in Spain.

WHAT ARE THE BATCH CODES ALL ABOUT?

Each batch is drawn from small collections of casks and married for a minimum of 12 weeks after maturation, which creates subtle variations in flavour. Each batch has its own code on the stopper seal which then connects you to an accompanying set of batch notes and other information online.

WHAT IS THE ABV, AND DO YOU CHILL-FILTER OR USE COLOURING?

We bottle our whisky at 46%, we definitely do not use chill-filtering, and there is no artificial colouring at all.

FINALLY, WHAT DOES THE BOTTLE LOOK LIKE?

As with anything, it’s what’s inside the counts. But, suffice to say we’ve created a special bottle to hold our first whisky. Made in collaboration with the wonderful team at Stranger & Stranger, who also made our much-loved Isle of Harris Gin bottle, we think you’ll love this new member of the Harris distillery family too. All will be revealed on 22.09.23

Got More Questions? Click To Learn More!

Our mailing address is:

Isle of Harris Distillers Ltd is registered in Scotland.
Tarbert, Isle of Harris, HS3 3DJ

WIN! Tobermory 25YO

This will be our second Tobermory Golden Dram giveaway of the year, and this time you could win a bottle of their stunning 25 Year Old aged in Oloroso casks and worth £345. Purchase any 70cl from the Tobermory Distillery range during the month of August to enter!

SHOP TOBERMORY DISTILLERY →

Free Next Day Delivery for 12 Months For just £14.95 you can enjoy free next day delivery on all your orders for a whole year! Geographic restrictions apply, see full T&Cs. Find out more ❯

Maltstock 2023

Maltstock program is online!

Maltstock is all about meeting old and new friends, sharing relaxed drams and great stories. But of course we also have lot’s of relaxed things for you to during the weekend. You can now find our 2023 program online! Click on the link below to find it on our website!

Bob, Klaas, Stan, Teun

Masterclasses

On Friday we have no less than four very relaxed masterclasses for you to choose from. Everyone will get to attend one masterclass (no extra cost).

All ticket holders should have received a mail to let us know their preference. If you have a ticket but did not get the masterclass mail, please pop us an e-mail at masterclasses@maltstock.com

It won’t be easy to choose.

• • Iain – master blender at Angus Dundee
  • Momoko – global ambassador for Mars distillery
  • Yumi – global ambassador for Chichibu distillery
  • Bert – owner of the very relaxed independent bottler Asta Morris.

“Drinks with…” sessions

Of course our very popular “Drinks with…” session return on the Saturday. Between 12.00 and 19.00 there will be no less than 30 sessions for you to choose from, hosted by 10 different speakers. These are 20 minute sessions with a smaller group. And the host can do whatever she/he/it wants. These sessions simply go by a first come first serve system. So whenever you feel like a session simply go to the right place at the right time. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

Maltstock 2023 Program

https://www.maltstock.com/program-2023

Bedlinen

Just a relaxed reminder for everyone with a Maltstock ticket, including accommodation: please note that bedlinen is compulsory. You can bring your own or rent it from the venue. If you have a ticket without bedlinen but changed your mind, you can still get bedlinen in our shop.

Please note: It’s just the linnen. A blanket or sleeping bag is not included and you might need one as Maltstock is held in September. So if prefer to have something more than just the whisky and the common love to keep you warm, please bring a blanket or a sleeping bag.

Last tickets

Maltstock this year is almost sold out. Amazing. We’re down to our last few tickets. So if you would like to join the relaxed fun and haven’t got a ticket yet, get yours now:

Shop

Want get relaxed NOW and enjoy Maltstock in September?

Simply get your ticket here: https://www.maltstock.com/shop