Review by: The Muskox

If you haven’t already heard, Torabhaig is a new distillery on the Isle of Skye, whose whisky just came of age last year in the form of this very release. As inaugural releases go, this one has been getting quite a lot of hype. I was already feeling the good vibes just from the photos of Skye’s rugged landscape on Torabhaig’s website, taking me back to my all-too-brief time there. The Quiraing, the Black Cuillin, Kilt Rock… wonderful memories.

Torabhaig makes whisky in the heavily-peated style, with this release reaching 55-60 ppm of phenols in the malt, which is at least as much as the most heavily-peated Islays. Interestingly, Torabhaig has also reported the “residual phenols”, i.e. the level of peat that actually makes it into the distillate, at 17 ppm.

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Distillery: Torabhaig.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islands (Isle of Skye).

ABV: 46%.

Age: 3 years. Distilled in 2017. Bottled in 2020.

Cask type: First-fill ex-bourbon casks.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: Straw. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Tart, fresh, coastal peat. Hazy ocean air, seared seafood, smoked salmon, old bandages, wood ash, and black pepper. Biting lemon, orange, and cider vinegar. Fresh sandalwood and fragrant oils, with a hint of menthol. A little bit of stonefruit and tropical coconut.

Palate: Light texture. Gentle sea-salty arrival, surprisingly soft and not as smoky as the nose. The fresh bourbon casks make themselves known here, with lots of sweet vanilla. Caramel and orange in the middle, turning to ash, salted toffee, and cocoa powder. Earthy and savoury on the back end – root vegetable chips and herbs.

Finish: Short and earthy-salty. Dusty malt, lobster roll, lemongrass, and some green vegetables.

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Conclusion: I’m not quite as high on this as some of the other reviews I’ve read, but it is a very good whisky, and of course phenomenal for an inaugural release (looking at you, Kingsbarns). It reminds me of Caol Ila, but much drier, saltier, and more herbal, without quite as much ash. The nose is easily the highlight, with some great fruit complexity which presumably comes from the long fermentation. Fantastic saltiness throughout. My main gripes are with the thin texture and short finish, but that likely isn’t a problem with the distillate. This whisky is going to be fantastic once it’s a little older, and part of me could see these guys pulling a Kilchoman and being fantastic at 5 or 6 years old. This release is already better than Wee Beastie if you ask me. Kudos!

Final Score: 79.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.