Torabhaig opened in 2017 on the Isle of Skye, perhaps more famous for its first distillery, Talisker. Situated in a farmstead from the 19th century built using stone from a nearby Cnoc Castle, the building has been refurbished with copper stills, washbacks, and all the other needed equipment. Thinking forward, the distillery roof is removable so that when the time comes to upgrade the stills, they can be moved in and out with minimal disturbance of the historical building. The Torabhaig Allt Gleann is the distillery’s inaugural release, so named from the Allt Gleann, one of the burns near the distillery that provides the water along with the Allt Breacach. Made with Concerto malted barley, Pinnacle MG+ yeast, and peated to 16ppm.
Stranahan’s Blue Peak
Stranahan’s Whiskey was founded in 2004 and holds a special place as one of the first distilleries in the craft distilling rise of the mid-2000s. Founded by Jess Graber and George Stranahan, who also founded Flying Dog Brewery and the Woody Creek Tavern, the duo latched onto using local ingredients to create their offerings. The Stranahan’s Blue Peak was introduced in 2020 and finished with Solera aging, much like Spanish bodegas do with sherry in large oaken barrels called foeders. New whiskey is put in to replace the whiskey being taken out, which means older spirit continually remains to mingle with the newer and creating a unique effect. It is also, at time of press, their cheapest whiskey.