Torabhaig Allt Gleann

I liked the Inaugural release enough, so decided I’d try the rest of what Torabhaig is calling The Legacy Series. This is the second release from them to receive meaningful distribution.

Torabhaig Allt Gleann - The Legacy Series, Island (Skye) Single Malt, 46% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2017 and 2018 and matured in 1st-fill ex-bourbon barrels and refill whisky barrels. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Pale straw; 0.2.

Nose: Musty smoke, vegetation. Kind of a medicinal/maritime combo, maybe like that hospital boat that came to NYC as more space early on in the pandemic that a bunch of people gathered to watch arrive.

Taste: Light, creamy, black and cayenne pepper. Ashy smoke. A touch of light fruit sweetness.

Finish: Warmer, toasty. Bigger smoke, in the ashy family.

A really nice expression from Torabhaig that keeps me excited for more from them and from the handful of distilleries that sound like they’ll make things I like that have either just started releasing whisky or haven’t aged any stock to release yet. And with that, I’ve finally finished my mad dash of typing a bunch of reviews and can finally get to the series I’ll be starting within the next couple hours.

Score: 85

Musical Evocation: Alghazanth – “As It Is Fated”

Torabhaig 2017 - The Legacy Series (Inaugural Release)

 

From the moment I found out a new distillery was opening up on Skye I was excited. Finally it came into production and aged stock long enough to legally be whisky and I was fortunate enough to be able to buy it at MSRP from a shop. I also ended up with a second bottle due to a preorder delay making me nervous and going to another shop. I wonder how much I’ll care about that second bottle?

Torabhaig 2017 - The Legacy Series (Inaugural Release), Island (Skye) Single Malt, 46% ABV

Minutia: Heavily peated in 2017 from concerto barley peated to 55-60 ppm, fermented with MG+ yeast and matured in first-fill bourbon barrels before bottling in 2020/2021 as the inaugural release from Torabhaig, the first of their 4 part Legacy series, at a phenol level of 16 ppm. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn. 

Color: Pale straw; 0.2.

Nose: Smoke (light), green wood, earthy. 

Taste: Sour fruit, but sweet. Some bitterness. 

Finish: Warming, kind of a bridge from where the taste is to what the nose led you to expect, with a sweetness still in there. Medium.

This would be pretty nice for a regular whisky; it’s really nice for a 3-year-old first release. I’m extra happy I managed to grab a bottle of the Allt Gleann over the weekend, really keen on following this distillery as its stock ages to core release ages and beyond.

Score: 80

Musical Evocation: Lana Del Rey – “Young and Beautiful”