Torabhaig 2017 "The Legacy" Inaugural Release

46% - First Fill Bourbon

The inaugural release from the shiny new Torabhaig distillery. Based on the Isle of Skye, it's already creating a lot of noise with this first release.

The style of this whisky is peated. I've read elsewhere that it is heavily peated. I would vehemently disagree with this and would say that it is soft and gentle.

Distilled in early 2017 and matured in first-fill bourbon barrels, their first release sold out in the blink of an eye. I missed out on one.

Appearance: Pale straw/white wine. Fast oily legs.

Nose: Initially quite light fruit-laden with a warming peppery sweetness. Soft peat smoke is there accompanied by dried hay, spiced baked apple, and whiff of rhubarb & custard boiled sweets.

Palate: Immediate gentle sweetness with a light peppery crackle. A lovely warming oiliness helps deliver the softness of flavour over the tongue. And there's most definitely a distillery character flavour coming through - I hope this continues into future bottles. The peat influence is there but it's gentle and well tamed enough to walk hand-in-hand with the sweetness, and it doesn't dominate.

Finish: Long, mouth-coating, sweet, with a lovely peated-oiliness.

Conclusion: In my opinion, quite sensational for this young 2017 vatted first release. What a fantastic balance of flavour. Any peat-haters should try this - It might turn them!

Thanks to the indomitable Duncan Murray for the sample.