Torabhaig 7 Years Old 2018 (Phil & Simon Thompson)

Torabhaig, opened in 2017, is the second distillery on the Isle of Skye after Talisker, built by Mossburn Distillers in a restored farmstead at Teangue. This independent bottling was selected by Phil and Simon Thompson, the brothers behind the Thompson Bros label and the Dornoch distillery, known for their eye for characterful casks.

Distilled in 2018 from heavily peated barley and matured seven years in Bourbon oak, the spirit was bottled at its natural 57.1 percent, without chill filtration or colour. Torabhaig's well tempered peat keeps the smoke balanced and coastal. Torabhaig ferments in Douglas fir washbacks and distils in copper pot stills, the slow approach building the balanced, well tempered peat.

On the palate a maritime peat smoke meets lemon, vanilla and a flinty minerality, fresh and balanced, with a warming spice into a long, smoky finish. An independent single cask of Skye's young second distillery, chosen by one of Scotland's sharpest independent eyes. The Thompson brothers built their name choosing casks with real character, and this Torabhaig is no exception. The smoke carries that woody, struck flint note the distillery's barley is known for, set against a clean coastal freshness.