There are just under four weeks to go until we share The Hearach single malt with the world. It will be a historic moment for our island distillery and the culmination of years of hard work and effort. So, we’d love for you to help us spread the good word about our forthcoming whisky if you can.

In recent weeks we’ve be answering your most frequently asked questions so if you missed any missives or want to know more then simply click HERE, HERE , and HERE to get all caught up. This week, we invite you to meet some of the men and women behind The Hearach itself, each drawn from our local community and working towards the launch weekend with great pride. 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

Our whisky is being made by a young team of local distillers as we continue to develop the next generation of islanders in the art and science of spirit-making. At 21 years old, Rebecca Morrison from the village of Bowglass is the youngest member of the team. She is joined by 25-year old Thomas Macrae and Donald Macleod, alongside 28-year old Paddy Sinclair. They in turn are led by our head distiller Norman Ian Mackay from Luskentyre who is charged with mentoring them on their lifelong distilling journey. We’re proud to watch them create our whisky with skill and pride, and we look forward to them exploring their craft with us over the coming years.

The Hearach single malt whisky is made to a carefully chosen recipe of spirits drawn from a variety of oak casks. The exact ratios and choice of casks are decided by Shona Macleod from the village of Carragreich and Harry Wood from Drinishader. Together, they nose and sample all our whisky to ensure the highest quality and consistency as we marry and bottle each batch we release. As with all our team, they are home-grown talent who have been trained and mentored in their respective roles and have risen to the occasion every time. It’s been a pleasure to watch their confidence grow as they continue to learn more about the wonderful world of whisky flavours.

We think our maturation site in the coastal village of Ardhasaig are one of the finest places to work in all of Harris. Earlier this year we built two new warehouses to bring our total to three at this special location just yards from the sea on our island’s west coast. Here Billy, Domhnall, and Scott look after the hundreds of casks, butts, and barrels which are stacked high or dunnage-racked, with more added to their collection every week. There are casks filled with our spirit from Kentucky, Spain, Pennsylvania, Bordeaux, and more, each transforming our whisky in their new Harris home. Working closely with our Tarbert team, the views from their desks and warehouse doors alone make their job one of the most envied at our distillery.

Back in 2015 we started life with a small, team of just ten men and women. Today, thanks to your support and enthusiasm for our work, we have over 50 full-time employees. From distilling to bottling, guest tours to storytelling, everything we do happens here in Harris helping us to create sustainable jobs and allow people to plan for the future. The next few weeks will be particularly busy for us, but we know the team will give their all as we head towards the launch weekend. We look forward to raising a glass of The Hearach with you in shared celebration very soon.

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

The Spey Bar in Covent Garden is hosting a unique whisky tasting on Wednesday 4th October with the team at Bruichladdich, Master of Malt’s Distillery of the Year 2023.

The £45 ticket includes a welcome drink on arrival, delicious and authentic Scottish canapés, and an exceptional whisky flight including The Classic Laddie, Bere Barley, Port Charlotte 10yr, Octomore and a surprise fifth dram that will be unveiled on the day.

Tickets can be booked here

About the Spey Bar

From the world-renowned 18th Century Craigellachie Hotel, comes the beautiful new Spey Bar in London’s West End. Inspired by the magic of this historic Speyside institution, from the unparalleled whisky collection, to the authentic local produce, to the much-loved charm of the hotel’s Copper Dog Pub, Spey Bar is an unbridled celebration of Highland hospitality.

Housed in the stunning Grade II listed building of Browns Covent Garden, the opening was part of a recent £2.5 million refurbishment that marked Browns Brasserie & Bar’s 50th anniversary. Located on the first floor of this historic building, Spey showcases everything from the traditional whisky dram to distinctive whisky pairings with herbs, botanicals and fruits, from over 100 selected whiskies on offer.

The difference between spring & winter barley

The main difference between winter and spring barley is when they are sown. So, winter barley is sown in the winter and the spring barley is sown in the spring. However, in the Scotch whisky production process, there is also a key difference in terms of spirit yield as Vic Cameron explains here.

Watch Video

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

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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.