You may be wondering why I’m writing about a distillery near the west coast of Scotland, on the Isle of Skye in fact, for a magazine focussed on world whisky. At World Whisky & More the main mission is always to highlight excellence and find exciting stories; well, Torabhaig has both. Torabhaig distillery is one of the many fairly recently opened distilleries – ‘recently’ as in within the last couple of decades, rather than in Victorian times or so. Their vision for the community aspect and the level of innovation in talent management and training make this distillery outstanding. With an eye on sustainability and an aim to help the local community and preserve local heritage, Torabhaig makes a statement. The buildings are in keeping with the local farms and surroundings, and great efforts have been made to be a truly local brand, not just another new distillery for the sake of it. Retraining and employing local people is part of these efforts, and is obviously great for the community. It is a great pleasure to write about Torabhaig and find out more about the people and the local aspect of it. It also helps that the whisky is already very good!
A new distillery for Skye:
Whisky distilling in Scotland was first legally sanctioned in 1823, with the first licence on Skye being granted not long thereafter. The second ever licence on Skye was granted to Torabhaig, coming up for 200 years later, so one could say it was about time.
Single malt whisky is inextricably linked with its place of origin, more so than many other products. The water, the land and the climate, all play a part in creating the character of the whisky. These factors are also essential points to consider when planning a new distillery. Simply put, you cannot just build a whisky distillery anywhere and expect the outcome to be great and distinctive.
Some time ago, the team behind Torabhaig whisky identified the old farmstead, at Torabhaig, as the perfect location for a small, traditional distillery. All the factors needed to make good, robust island whisky were in place, right down to the Allt Breacach and the Allt Gleann; two burns that supply the distillery with fresh water. There was also a handsome, rugged building, rich in history and local lore.
This 19th century building has undergone a painstaking restoration and build to house the beautiful copper stills and traditional wooden washbacks that should allow the production of whisky for the next two hundred years. With an eye to the future, the roof has been built in such a way as to be removable so that, when the time comes, the pot stills can be replaced without disturbing the old building again.
Full production started in January 2017, and in 2021 the inaugural release in the Legacy Series was made.
Building a Legacy:
For the team at Torabhaig it was never the plan to make “just another whisky”. They have, on the one hand, great respect for, and indeed a sense of obligation to, heritage, provenance and tradition, but, on the other hand, the passion to build upon that and make a contribution of their own by bringing something new and unique to the table – in other words, to leave a legacy. In the quest for the true expression of Torabhaig they have developed whisky with its own distinctive character, which is quickly evolving into a definite signature style; a flavour profile that they refer to as ‘well-tempered peat’. Torabhaig seeks to explore the many faces and moods of peat to find the perfect balance between strength and refinement, elegance and robustness. I would say that they are well on their way to achieving this!
Investment in local people:
Neil Mathieson, Torabhaig’s founder, was very keen to employ locally; people that came in and had a natural interest, asking questions and being keen to learn and show initiative, and to train them up. The nine distillers now include, amongst others, an ex-Talisker tour guide, a local man who used to install micro-hydro schemes throughout Scotland and relished the chance to work close to home, a local musician and former part time tour guide at Torabhaig, a local former military technician, and the resident beekeeper.
As part of this ethos, the Journeymen series has been created. The distillery sets aside one month every year when each of their nine distillers gets free rein of the distillery, experiencing being in control to create their own whisky. They decide on their own unique recipe, the strain of barley, yeast, fermentation length, peat reek (if any), cut points and cask type. Each distiller is in charge during the production of their spirit, and will keep a close eye on the whisky during its maturation. When the whisky is ready to be bottled, it will have their name on it, by which time they will have, in effect, earned their journeyman’s medals.
Read this article in our issue 3
