The latest expression from the Isle of Skye distillery uses Sherry casks for the first time to elegantly reveal the tempered peat of its distillery character
Isle of Skye, March 2024: Torabhaig, the Isle of Skye Single Malt Distillery, today unveils Cnoc Na Mòine, the limited edition third chapter in its Legacy Series that charts the journey to a ten-year-old expression.
Meaning “hill of peat” in Gaelic, Cnoc Na Mòine is an elegantly peated single malt shaped by the Isle of Skye and evocative of the atmospheric mists and rugged beauty of the Hebridean island. Cnoc Na Mòine is also the distillery’s first release that includes single malt matured in Sherry casks.
The whisky showcases the impact that rich sherry casks can have on the elegant smoke & brine character of Torabhaig and help this robustly peated spirit sing with a complex and characterful maritime song rich with elegance and finesse.
On the nose there are hints of orange peel and dying embers with a subdued peat smoke aroma giving way to vanilla and freshly sawn oak. The peat smoke returns to the palate before the light spirit brings in pepper, balsamic acidity and gentle spice alongside fragrant touches of cedar and leather. The sherry influence shines on the finish, balancing perfectly with the peat smoke and spice of Torabhaig spirit.
The Gaelic naming, and the nod to the geographical features that make the distillery’s location so special, is an homage to the distillery’s creative muse, the Isle of Skye, which both shapes and inspires the whisky. The rhythm of the distillery is governed by the two burns that feed the purest island spring water and the wilful climate that helps produce a whisky as complex and compelling as its wild and rugged land of origin.
Neil MacLeod Mathieson, Torabhaig whisky maker comments: “There is an intriguing complexity to peated whisky, an endless depth to explore. There are many faces and moods to peat, so a balance has to be found between strength and refinement, between elegance and robustness. Each expression in the Legacy Series captures our progress towards this vision and is a liquid snapshot of our whisky journey here on the Isle of Skye.
“This is the first expression where sherry casks have played a part in our journey as well. The way new flavours are revealed through time with different casks is such an exciting thing for a younger distillery to discover and highlights the magic of whisky-making that can’t quite be explained, although it can be bottled.”
Cnoc Na Mòine is the latest in The Torabhaig Legacy Series, a collection of Single Malts from the Isle of Skye distillery that charts Torabhaig’s journey to a ten year old and the experimental steps to establishing a future flagship expression which embodies the house style.
Whisky lovers who are following the journey and have been lucky enough to enjoy Torabhaig’s inaugural release, Torabhaig 2017 – The Legacy Series, alongside Torabhaig Allt Gleann and Torabhaig Allt Glean Batch Strength – can now add a fourth Torabhaig bottling – Torabhaig Cnoc Na Mòine to their collection.
About Torabhaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Torabhaig Single Malt distillery is set on one of Scotland’s most dramatic locations on the spectacular rugged coastline of the Isle of Skye. The first new distillery on the Isle of Skye in 190 years, Torabhaig started distillation in 2017 and is one of only two single malt distilleries on the island. The whisky created here is shaped by Skye and the breathtaking landscape of jagged rocky peaks, stunningly verdant valleys, and glistening coastal waters. The Torabhaig style is one of well-tempered peat crafted by distilling a robustly peated, elegantly rugged, floral, fragrant whisky that sings of smoke and brine. The whisky is made by a team of nine local distillers all trained from scratch, with seasoned whisky maker Neil Macleod Mathieson at the helm.
Torabhaig is part of the Mossburn whisky portfolio which includes independent bottlings from Mossburn Distillers & Blenders and Caisteal Chamuis, a heavily peated blended malt.
