Isle of Harris Distillery releases second expression of The Hearach

The Isle of Harris Distillery has released the second permanent expression within The Hearach single malt range, The Hearach Oloroso Cask.

It comes a year after the release of the long awaited first expression of Isle of Harris whisky which sold out in less than five hours – after more than 25,000 people queued online to get their hands on the dram.

The new Oloroso expression is entirely matured in first fill Oloroso sherry butts, for a bold and deeply aromatic spirit that builds upon the complexity and drinkability that fans of The Hearach have come to expect.

The rich dram features notes of orange peel, warming spices, fireside smoke and toasted hazelnuts that evoke a cosy winter evening.

The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured is available for purchase from 24 September at 10am, with bottles for sale online, at the distillery, and through speciality whisky sellers in the UK at an RRP of £75.

Bottled at 46% ABV, the non-chilled filtered spirit is lightly peated at 12-15ppm, matured in casks hand-picked for quality from the respected Bodega José y Miguel Martín in the beautiful Andalusia region in southern Spain.

Distilled, matured, married and bottled on the Isle of Harris, The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured is crafted by the same team of dedicated locals behind the success of the inaugural single malt – named after the Scottish Gaelic word that refers to a native of the Isle of Harris.

With the release of the Oloroso expression, the distillery ethos of ‘people and place woven together’ expands to encompass the talented Spanish sherry winemakers and coopers who use the same care in crafting exceptional Oloroso, and the casks that have lent their flavour to the final spirit.

‘After years of careful development, it’s finally time to share the next expression of The Hearach with the world – marking another milestone just one year after the outstanding success of The Hearach’s inaugural launch,’ said Simon Erlanger, Managing Director at Isle of Harris Distillery.

‘The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured has allowed us to build a strong connection between The Isle of Harris Distillery and the family sherry makers José y Miguel Martín of Andalusia.

‘It has been an incredible experience working with a team with a similar dedication to craft and discovering the similarities between our cultures and communities.’

Opened in 2015 to create sustainable employment for their island community, the Isle of Harris Distillery has one of youngest distilling teams in Scotland.

Four local men and women with an average age of just 25 years old, work under the mentorship of Head Distiller Norman Ian Mackay.

Read more Whisky news here.

Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.