HARRIS THE HEARACH FIRST RELEASE 70CL

The Hearach Batch 1 was peated to approximately 12.8 ppm and was made from 85% ex-bourbon casks (21% Heaven Hill, 64% Buffalo Trace), 11% ex-oloroso and 4% ex-fino casks. 12,313 bottles were released.

Nose

It’s very fruity, with the bourbon cask sweetness dominating the nose: green apples, strawberries, and pears. As we sit with it, we're reminded of a sherbet dib dab. There's also a hint of Appletiser, a very light burnt note, and the orange and mango notes reminiscent of Rubicon. We're not detecting anything obvious on the nose to suggest it's overly young.

Palate

On the palate, there's more of the fruit noted from the nose. We prefer our whisky at cask strength, but we feel this has been bottled close to the ideal ABV; it retains a good mouthfeel, and the alcohol provides a pleasant warmth. The peat manifests as tobacco, accompanied by notes of strawberry jam, plums, a hint of grapefruit bitterness, and warming peppery spice. The finish is of good length and leaves a lingering sweetness.

Nose (with water)

Burnt toast, pistachios, and warehouse funk dominate the nose. It's less fruity, yet we still detect a considerable amount of apples and pears. The sherbet sweetness has faded. Personally, we'd advise against dilution for this one.

Palate (with water)

When reduced, we noticing more bitterness on the palate. The flavours have shifted from fruity to be more herbal, with notes of lavender and heather with a touch of salt. The mouthfeel remains consistent, and the finish retains its good length. It's different with water, but not necessarily worse.