The Hearach 2018 Single Cask Collection Itinéraires 6 yo

 

 

 

59°

Distillery : Isle of Harris - Islands 

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 43 ppm

 

 

 

The young Isle of Harris distillery, founded in 2015, is being showcased by La Maison du Whisky, which has decided to include it in the Collection Itinéraires, featuring cask 1908, distilled in 2018 and then matured for six years in a first-fill bourbon cask. The barley used is of the Concerto and Laureate varieties. 240 bottles are being released. Whether it is Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured and Cask Strength is not specified anywhere, but I trust La Maison du Whisky on these points. However, there is another bottling, also part of the Collection Itinéraires range, from the same cask, but with an alcohol content of just 58.6%. I believe the flavour profile is exactly the same, it is a sister cask. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

An elegant, fresh and coastal nose, iodine and dried seaweed, kelp and whelks. It is airy, with oysters and mineral notes. Sweet vanilla, perfectly balanced, enveloped in a chiselled smokiness, a zest of citrus, honey-coated grains, yellow herbs, heather. On the palate, it is lighter, a little too young, not quite ripe plums, white chocolate, banana, vanilla and slices of lime, a good layer of peat, lively spices. The finish is quite long and very intense, full of charcoal, tangy, soot and caramel, grapefruit, sage, sea spray, beach sand. 

 

In Short, 

I really liked the nose, which seems very promising to me, and the finish has a punch that’s bound to appeal. On the other hand, on the palate, it’s still too young, almost watery – a shame. This distillery certainly has huge potential, it’s one of the five young distilleries I’m particularly interested in (Ardnamurchan, Lagg, Torabhaig, Raasay and Harris), but it will need a few more years before it’s truly competitive. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                            oktobernatt - Rasa

The Hearach 2018 Single Cask N°1789 Collection Foundations 5 yo

 

 

 

59,7°

Distillery : Isle of Harris - Islands 

1st Fill Bourbon Cask 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edtion 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 14 ppm

 

 

 

In my opinion, the 5 most promising young distilleries are Ardnamurchan, Lagg, Torabhaig, Raasay, and Harris, one of the least known, built on an island in the Outer Hebrides, with a population of less than 2,000. Their first expressions were released at the end of 2023, and were not totally convincing, as the juice is still a little immature, though interesting, the profile is costal, but also light and airy. Somewhere between Talisker and Highland Park. To deepen this discovery, the distillery invited us to taste some Single Casks in 2024, to focus on the purity of the distillate. This one is the Single Cask reserved for France, and of course La Maison du Whisky has made it its own, including it in the Collection Foundations designed for Whisky Live Paris 2024. 247 bottles were extracted from the cask, which comes from the American Bourbon distillery Heaven Hill. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very airy nose, a few cumulonimbus clouds in a clear sky, slight influence of the cask, wood woven around a jar of honey and grapefruit jam. Fresh iodine, almost minty, with a touch of sea spray and seaweed, which washes up on a beach lined with cereals, pine resin and rye biscuits. candied lemon, sprinkled with cinnamon and cocoa powder, almond milk, light peat in the background, the spices gradually become stronger, cloves, nutmeg. a hint of blood orange, crushed walnuts and chestnuts. 

 

In Short, 

This is exactly what was needed to really appreciate this distillery. It's fine, subtle, airy, and at the same time there's a wilder, costal, peaty, even medicinal background. I really like it, and here we can see what this distillery could become if given enough time. The same whisky with ten more years could be exceptional. Unfortunately the price is high, and what's more, now that it's sold out, it's doubled. It's no longer worth buying, so perhaps it would be better to wait for the next Single Cask edition. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           JFDR - Instant Patience

Isle of Harris The Hearach First Fill Oloroso Cask Matured Batch 4

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Isle of Harris - Islands 

1st Fill Oloroso Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 13 ppm

 

 

 

After a first expression launched in 2023, here is the second from the very young Isle of Harris distillery, founded in 2015. It differs from its predecessor in that it is aged entirely in Oloroso Sherry casks, purchased from the famous Bodega José y Miguel Martin. 4 Batches were released simultaneously in September this year, and Batch 4 is apparently the one being sold in France. For each Batch, 12,100 bottles are produced, making a total of 48,400. That's a lot to drink. On their website, the ladies and gentlemen of the distillery give us all the information we need. Each Batch is made in the same way, with Concerto Laureate Barley, a double fermentation of 70 and 120 hours, and a minimum of 6 years of maturation. The only thing that changes is the blending period, which lasts 25 weeks for this Batch, and is shorter for the others.

Let's Taste It : 

A well-balanced Sherry, with plenty of cinnamon, blood orange and apricot purée, but also an airy, costal profile, hints of iodine, tall herbs, dried fruits, dates and raisins, a zest of lemon. On the palate, light peat, soft smoke, dry ham, hazelnuts, soft toffee, vanilla cream, mint leaf, a few spices, cloves and pepper. The finish is pleasant but a little short, with liquorice and toasted cereals, thick leather and ashes that are still warm. Coal powder and a few drops of honey. Shortbread biscuits.

In Short, 

It seems to me to have succeeded, the Sherry is present but not overpowering, there is a balance between the costal and airy profile of the distillery and a creamy Oloroso, full of dried fruits. The peat, though light, adds an extra dimension. All in all, it's very pleasant to drink, very much to my taste, I must say. The price is unfortunately a bit high for what it is, which is often the problem with young distilleries, but you have to realise that you are supporting an emerging industry.

Score : 87

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Lady Gaga - Disease

Isle of Harris The Hearach Batch 5

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Isle of Harris - Islands

Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Casks, Oloroso and Fino Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 15 ppm

 

 

 

Isle of Harris distillery opened exactly 8 years ago, in October 2015. So it took a long time to have their first whisky. But it's here now, its name is The Hearach, this is how you call someone who lives on this island. It's unchillfiltered, at 46°, aged from 5 to 7 years old, and is slightly peaty. It followed a fourfold maturation, with two kinds of Bourbon casks, and two kinds of Sherry casks. So this a pretty complex and not so young whisky for a very first release. This is a limited edition, released in 7 different Batches, and the Batch 5 is reserved for the French market, 12326 bottles were put on sale. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It's well-balanced, with honey, cereals, a pinch of iodine, sea spray, some vanilla but light. A zest of lemon, some fish and pebbles in the background. It's costal without being it too much, and the peat is barely perceptible, diffuse. The palate is fresh, maritime, the fruits stand out, but above all the vanilla and lemon. A few white grapes and mirabelle plums, but discreet. Then red pepper. The finish is decent, fairly long, not too strong, woody, earthy, with chestnuts and hazelnuts.

 

In Short, 

It's a very good strategy to have waited long enough. This Hearach is relatively mature, you don't feel its youth, the complex maturation gives it a subtle and silky character. In my opinion, it's very successful, close to what Highland Park does but with more character and roundness. It's very promising, but unfortunately the price isn't at all competitive at the moment, so they'll have to improve on that.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                            Eagle Eye Cherry - Desireless