Official Batch Strength vs Thompson Bros Single Cask | Various ABV

The draw of the Misty Isle

The first time I visited Skye in what I’d call a proper way (not just juking over for a day, but actually giving the island the time it deserves) was back in 2016, on a motorhome road trip.

Skye can easily become one of your favourite Islands. Apart from anything else, you don’t have the same risk of being stranded through some ferry-related issue that you have with almost every other Scottish island.

Driving through the western Highlands of Scotland approaching Skye, there’s a rhythm to the road that slows you down, even as far away as Glencoe you start to feel it; the light shifts across the hills in such dramatic and romantic ways and that’s before you even consider how the weather can change its mind every five minutes. It’s not just scenery - it’s breathtaking at times.

Now, of the Dramface writers, I’m not the one best qualified to wax lyrical about Skye, I do not pretend to have the intimate knowledge that Mr Crystal now has after settling on the island. I’ve been a few times now, but there are others who know its nooks and crannies far better than I. But what I can share are my own experiences and, for me, that’s what journeys throughout Scotland are really about. They’re not just about ticking off places on a map, but about the little moments that stick.

One of the most picturesque places I’ve ever stayed was a campsite on the western side of Skye called Glenbrittle on that trip back in 2016. The Cuillin mountains looming above, the sea stretching out below - it was the kind of place that makes you stop and think this is why people fall in love with Scotland. But if I’m honest, my abiding memory of Glenbrittle wasn’t the grandeur of the landscape, or even the stooshies of haggis darting about the hillsides. It was the midges.

They were absolutely brutal, incessant and almost impossible to escape, to the point they seem able to find their route through supposedly closed air vents. They are hunting machines and the female biting midges can detect carbon dioxide (CO₂) in exhaled breath from up to 200 metres away – for an insect 1-3mm in size, a 200m detection zone seems pretty predatory. Anyone who’s been to the west coast of Scotland in what we optimistically call “summer” knows exactly what I mean. You can’t quantify the risk of midges if you travel to the west coast of Scotland, but you can be sure they’ll find you. And their impact on your enjoyment of Scotland when they do find you, is, let’s say, exponentially negative.

Still, that’s part of the deal. The midges, the rain, the single-track roads - they’re all part of the romance. Scotland doesn’t hand over its beauty easily; you’ve got to earn it.

Obviously, I have other memories of that trip: the ever-popular Fairy Pools, Portree, a wonderful stay in Dunvegan and a great restaurant and bar to go with it which we have revisited almost every time we have been to Skye – with great lamb shanks.

It was around that same time that something else was happening on Skye. In 2017, Torabhaig distillery opened its doors - the first new distillery on the island in almost 200 years. For whisky lovers that was a big moment, even if back then I wasn’t aware of Torabhaig. Whisky on Skye had long been defined by Talisker (for many it still is), and suddenly there was a new voice. For me, Torabhaig now feels like it belongs to Skye and my interest in it far outweighs any I have in Talisker. Yes, I have had a couple of great Talisker special releases at prices that haven’t made me cry but…

Recently I reviewed the Torabhaig Allt Gleann Batch Strength and the Sound of Sleat, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed – I was quite taken with them. Not long after, Torabhaig announced a cask strength version of the Sound of Sleat, while around the same time the Thompson Bros Torabhaig release came into my consciousness. Just as every journey through the Scottish Highlands and Islands reveals something new each time, Torabhaig so far shows a momentum to keep evolving, to keep surprising.

And that, for me, is the romance of it all: the road, the midges, the mountains, and the whisky - each part of the story, each part of the new memories.

Review 1/2

Torabhaig Sound of Sleat, Batch Strength, Official release, ex-bourbon and virgin oak, 60.2% ABV
£79 and general availability

Torabhaig Sound of Sleat, Batch Strength, is bottled at 60.2% as part of the distillery's "Legacy Series". It is the fourth chapter in the series, following the original 46% ABV version and the Allt Gleann releases. Torabhaig tell us that this is crafted from Concerto and Laureate malted barley, peated to over 78 ppm (with residual phenols in the bottle of 19 ppm).

It has been fermented over 72 hours using Pinnacle MG+ yeast, and matured exclusively in Quercus Alba American Oak - including a mix of first-fill bourbon (75%), refill bourbon (5%), and freshly toasted virgin oak barrels (20%). You really cannae beat Torabhaig Official Bottlings for the detail!

There is no age statement on it, but the website tells us that it has been in cask for 5-6 years.

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*Brilliant peat!*

Nose

There is no getting away from it - there is no gentle introduction to this dram - it is a blast of peat and utterly unapologetic for it. But there is balance to it: the nose has plenty of that peat smoke and a bit of paraffin, but there is also a nice saltiness, and some sweet and citrus notes - mandarin orange and sweet tinned apricot.

Palate

Like the nose, there is no point pretending this isn’t a big whisky on the taste front. There is an abundance of creamy oak spice, smoky bonfire embers and a hint of incense.

The saltiness from the nose translates to an anchovy-like taste and there is a bit of earthy, bark-like quality to it, combined with hints of vanilla, crème caramel and liquorice. The mouthfeel is thick, drying and waxy: the finish lasts an age and it is a lengthy warming glow long after the liquid is gone.

A touch of water can open this up a bit, but personally I’d be careful not to drown it.

The Dregs

Compared to its diluted 46% sister, this whisky manages to show its greater strength while remaining graceful. Its youthful spark adds character rather than distraction, and the overall impression is of a quintessential west coast island peat expression.

Let’s not forget this is coming in at a whopping £24 a bottle more expensive than the original Sound of Sleat, that’s 43% more expensive. Is it worth that for the extra taste that 14.2% ABV increase gives - yes it probably is - and realistically no one who is buying this is going to be put off by the added peat power involved: the original Sound of Sleat wasn’t for the peat averse either.

The £55 standard Sound of Sleat is arguably a bargain and well worth that price though. Still, if you like peat, this higher strength release is the one to go for and worth the extra.

Score: 8/10

Review 2/2

Torabhaig 2018 Single Cask, Thompson Bros, first-fill bourbon, 57.1% ABV
£68 and mostly sold out

At the same time as I try to not end up down a Torabhaig rabbit hole, I am circling around a Thompson Brothers, independently bottled rabbit hole, all whilst I am firmly in a bourbon cask black hole. So, when I spotted this Torabhaig IB release courtesy of Thompson Brothers, well, I had to get right into it.

There has been some Torabhaig in the Thompson Brothers Mystery Malts series, which I haven’t tried but I imagine it is very similar to this release. This is a 7-year-old age statement which has been matured in 1st fill Bourbon Barrels. At 57.1% ABV it’s slightly down on the Official Bottling: unknown whether that’s a conscious Thompson Brothers’ decision or just where the cask(s) were at the point of bottling. I suspect that since it’s the favoured ABV interpretation of 100º Imperial proof it’s a deliberate choice.

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*Even brillianter!*

Nose

The peat smoke is unmistakeable, but it’s not a dirty bonfire smoke. There are real tropical notes; primarily blackened pineapple which is mixed with a freshly caught seafood kind of saltiness.

Palate

Bright is the term that comes to my mind straight away. I can virtually sense the reader eye-rolling that’s going to come from having ‘bright’ in the tasting notes, but it was my first thought; the zesty citrus of orange and a bit of grapefruit combined with the salinity really do lift it. The peat on this one seems a bit more restrained that the OB but don’t think for a moment it’s not packing a punch. As you get into it there are lovely notes of caramel, toffee and heather honey layered in with the vanilla coming from the cask.

Mouthfeel on this one is also long and oily, but also a bit creamier. The real peat hit comes at the end, but it is such a pleasant peat smoke with layers of salted caramel.

The Dregs

This absolutely hits the sweet spot between bourbon cask and peat for me. There is an incredible amount of taste led by bright fruit from the bourbon casks and because it is a single cask it just absolutely sings. As I write this, I am thinking I should find another bottle as a back-up!

This is slightly ahead of the distillery bottling in my view, but just not enough to be bringing a 9/10. If only Wally would let us score in half points this would certainly be an 8.5.

Score: 8/10

The Final Dregs

These are both tremendous whiskies - wonderful peaty bourbon cask releases and demonstrative of the spirit Torabhaig are delivering. I can’t wait to get to the stage where 10-year-old and older products are available from them.

There is something about the Thompson Bros bottling that just fits with my palate perfectly and it would be difficult for me to look beyond that. It’s possibly a/the whisky of 2025 for me at the minute.

These are both peat monsters - no point pretending otherwise. If you can only just about manage the peat level in a Springbank then you should run faster than it would take to escape the midges on Skye.

As for the Misty Isle; I look forward to my next visit for many reasons, but I am hopeful I’ll finally get to visit Torabhaig.

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. CC

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