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Torabhaig Taigh Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the first permanent core release from Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye, and the first peated Skye whisky to offer a genuine alternative to Talisker. Following on from various limited Legacy editions, including Allt Glean and Sound of Sleat, this is the first “proper” release, a whisky that truly embodies the Torabhaig house style.
Torabhaig Taigh represents the clearest expression yet of the distillery’s signature house style: “smoke with taste”, elegantly peated, balanced and refined rather than aggressively smoky like some Islay heavies. Torabhaig has always said that First Fill Bourbon barrels are the perfect partner for their whisky, and it is these which add the notes of vanilla, sweet spice, and honey that harmonise beautifully with the gentle smokiness. The distillery also uses some ex-Madeira casks to lend some roundness to the blend.
If you like balanced, modern peated whiskies with island character (think a lighter, fruitier alternative to Talisker), Taigh is a standout new core expression.
Torabhaig is a new distillery on the island of Skye. It was founded in 2013 and is believed to be only the second distillery opened on Skye in over 190 years (the other, Talisker, was founded in 1830). The distillery is owned by Mossburn Distillers, which is part of Swedish pharmaceutical billionaire Frederick Paulsen’s empire.
Torabhaig Distillery is located in a listed, 19th century traditional stone farm steading which has been painstakingly restored using local materials. The renovation project began in 2014, the stills and washbacks were commissioned and installed in 2016 and the first spirit flowed from the stills in 2017.
The distillery features a specially designed removable slate roof which allows easy access to the two stills for repairs or should they need to be replaced. These are two traditional copper pot stills custom-made by Forsyths of Rothes. A long fermentation in eight 8000L Douglas Fir washbacks and plenty of copper interaction during distillation provide a fruit-forward spirit.
The distillery uses only the purest island spring water from Allt Gleann Torabhaig and Allt Breacach and will have a capacity to produce around 1.5 million bottles of whisky each year.
There is no head distiller at Torabhaig; instead, a team of nine distillers, many of them new to the industry, but now accomplished brewer-distillers, began work on this new release in January 2017. They have served their apprenticeship under a team of whisky industry mentors and veterans, including consultant brewers, distillers and maltsmen, who have over 200 years of know-how between them.
Torabhaig have collaborated with talented local Hebridean artist and printmaker Aileen Grant for the stunning label artwork for Torabhaig Taigh. Drawing from her profound connection to the Skye and Wester Ross landscapes, Aileen has masterfully evoked the distillery’s coastal spirit and rugged surroundings in this hand-finished piece, created right from her own studio. It captures  the essence of “home” (Taigh) on the Sleat Peninsula
Nose: Seaside embers and flint smoke are balanced by earthy woodland notes, evoking an autumnal forest walk. Sweet layers of baked apple pie, maple syrup, and gentle raisin richness emerge, alongside a touch of clove, cinnamon spice, and a hint of cereal biscuit.
Palate: Light to medium-bodied, with soft smoke wrapped in vanilla custard, toasted almond and sweet dried fruits, all carried on a smooth, oily texture.
Finish: Gentle yet spirited, with toasted oak and a sprightly touch of tannin. Lingering vanilla and red fruits mingle with cinnamon and clove spice, before settling into a persistent, pleasant smoke that rounds it off with both warmth and approachability.
Try this neat or with a drop of water to open up the layers. It is also great over ice or in simple highballs.
For food pairing, try with seafood, cheese, or dark chocolate.
Taigh is Torabhaig Distillery’s first permanent core release single malt from the Isle of Skye. It embodies their signature “smoke with taste” style: elegant, gently peated whisky that’s balanced and approachable.
How is Taigh matured?
It is aged mainly in first-fill Bourbon casks, which lend vanilla and sweetness, with some in refill Bourbon support and some in Madeira casks for added fruit depth, soft spice and rounded complexity.
Taigh means “house” in Gaelic – it represents the house style, the distillery’s home.
It is located in a restored 19th-century farm steading on the Sleat Peninsula of the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Talisker is bolder and more assertively peaty, with a famous peppery, maritime intensity, while Torabhaig Taigh is gentler and more fruit-forward, the Taigh, with its first-fill Bourbon and Madeira casks pushing vanilla, honey and soft spice to the foreground alongside the smoke. If you enjoy Talisker but wish it were a little less aggressive and more approachable, Taigh is a natural next step.
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