Isle of Skye distillery Torabhaig has launched Taigh, its first permanent core single malt and the expression set to define the distillery’s house style for years to come.
Pronounced “Tie”, Taigh is the Scottish Gaelic word for house. The name refers to the restored 19th-century steading on the Sleat Peninsula where the distillery operates, but also to the wider sense of place, community and belonging that shapes what is made there. It is, in the distillery’s words, about home in its broadest sense.
Torabhaig started distilling in 2017, becoming the first new distillery on Skye in 190 years. A team of nine local distillers, all trained on site, has been quietly building the distillery’s reputation through its Legacy Series releases. Taigh marks the next chapter: a whisky designed not as a limited edition but as a permanent statement of intent.
Created in small batches, the whisky is matured in first-fill and refill bourbon casks with the addition of Madeira casks, and bottled at 46% ABV with no chill-filtration or added colour. The cask combination is intended to showcase what Torabhaig describes as its Smoke with Taste philosophy, an elegant, balanced approach to peat where smoke enhances the flavour rather than overwhelming it. The first-fill bourbon barrels have always been central to the distillery’s style, while the Madeira component adds a softening roundness to the spirit.
On the nose, seaside embers and flint smoke sit alongside baked apple, maple syrup and raisin richness, with clove, cinnamon and a cereal biscuit edge in support. The palate is light to medium-bodied, with soft smoke wrapped in vanilla custard, toasted almond and sweet dried fruit on a smooth, oily texture. The finish brings toasted oak, red fruit and warming spice before settling into a gentle, persistent smokiness.
To mark the launch, Torabhaig has partnered with Scottish poet Iona Lee on a new body of work inspired by the distillery’s home on Sleat. The collaboration draws on landscape, language and belonging, themes closely tied to the distillery’s identity and location on the peninsula. Lee’s poetry will be shared through performances, film and editorial content over the coming months, extending the story of Taigh beyond the bottle.
Taigh is available now via their website.
