SMWS 163.1 (Harris 6yo 2018/2024)

SMWS 163.1 (Harris 6yo 2018/2024)

2024, SMWS
Single malt - Islands
Golden yellow, hints of green
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, white grapes, green tea, gooseberries, malted grains, sandalwood. With water, honey, white grapes, green tea, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Olive brine, green tea, white grapes, lemon zest, olive oil, leather, hints of diesel exhaust, hints of smoke. With water, white grapes, gooseberries, olive brine, hints of malted grains. 

Finish: Medium. White grapes, peaches, gooseberries, honey, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Savoury, lots of underlying complexity including green tea and stone fruit. Water brings out some maltiness, but mainly more fruit and that savoury olive brine. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

The Hearach Batch 1.8

The Hearach Batch 1.8

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Golden bronze
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, sultanas, smoke, tyre rubber, olive brine, lemon juice. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Soot, smoke, white grapes, sultanas, pencil erasers, olive brine, walnut skins, hints of diesel exhaust. 
Finish: Long. Soot, diesel exhaust, peat, smoke, sultanas. 

Comments: 

Sooty and smoky, yet fruity with savoury notes. It’s well integrated and delicately layered, excellent for its young age, and one of the first releases from this distillery.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Hearach First Fill Oloroso Cask Matured Batch 1

Hearach First Fill Oloroso Cask Matured Batch 1

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, olive brine, malted grains, leather, brown sugar, hints of farmyard. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Aluminium foil, malted grains, olive brine, honey, raisins, cocoa nibs, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, honey, cocoa nibs, malted grains, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

The sherry cask is evident here, but it’s probably refill. There’s plenty of stripped back raisiny, chocolatey notes, but the characteristic olive brine and slightly metallic feinty notes are front and centre. 

Verdict:

I like this.

The Hearach Batch 1.1

The Hearach Batch 1.1

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Bright gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black olives, olive oil, sea salt, green apples, raisins, hints of basil. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, loosens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Black olives, olive oil, lemon juice, nutmeg, sultanas, basil, peat, hints of autumn leaves. 
Finish: Short. Autumn leaves, peat, green tea, olive oil, black olives, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Quite a savoury dram, reminds me of a great pizza. Olives are a slightly sulphurous flavour profile, and it’s not very common. The two Harris whiskies I’ve tried have heaps of it though. .

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

The Hearach Single Malt

The Hearach Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Bright gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Olive oil, desiccated coconut, toast, nutmeg, vanilla, gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Lemon zest, gooseberries, vanilla, green tea, apricots, olive oil, hints of toast, hints of capers. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, olive oil, gooseberries, apricots, hints of nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Savoury and fragrant, lots of interesting notes. There's fruit, brine, herbs and spice in this. Very interesting, and unusual. There was a lot of fanfare with this whisky, and it’s not necessarily unjustified.

Verdict:

I like this.