The limited-edition, subtly peated single malt, distilled in 2018, marks the first time the distillery has used Harris peat.
This September, Isle of Harris Distillery celebrates ten years since it opened its doors, with a special release of its award-winning single malt, The Hearach. Marking a new chapter in the island’s whisky story, The Hearach Decade Edition is the first product to come from the distillery using peat hand-cut from the Isle of Harris itself.
A limited quantity of just 2,357 bottles is set to launch on Friday 12 September both online and at the distillery shop in Tarbert, released as part of the Hebridean Whisky Festival celebrations. The new release provides a rare opportunity for whisky lovers to experience, for the first time, the unique influence of Harris peat on The Hearach whisky.
In the Outer Hebrides, peat is a part of the fabric of island life. Free to crofters and local families with the right to use it, many still gather to cut their share from peat banks up to 4,000 years old and 20 feet thick, stacking it into sculptural piles that dot the landscape each summer. The scent of a peat fire in the wind is still one of the strongest reminders of home for many Hebrideans.
In this limited-edition whisky, that same peat is used to dry the malted barley, giving the spirit a subtle, smoky character which brings quiet depth and warmth rather than dominating the dram. This allows the softer island notes to shine through and acts as an ideal introduction to newcomers of peated single malt Scotch whisky.
Distilled in November 2018 and matured in just three first fill Oloroso sherry butts and two first-fill, ex-Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, The Hearach Decade Edition retains the complex and elegant character of The Hearach, with an added smokiness layered with caramel and spice, evoking memories of Hebridean peat fires and the mineral saltiness in the air along the island shoreline.
This milestone malt is a tribute to the first decade of the distillery and the community that made it possible. Having first opened its doors in September 2015, the founding vision of the distillery was to capture the spirit of the island in a bottle and send it out to the waiting world, bringing Harris to the attention of a global audience. 10 years on, its Isle of Harris Gin and Hearach single malt are sold in 25 countries and have won countless awards, including both Scottish gin distillery (twice) and Scottish whisky distillery of the year.
Ron MacEachran, Executive Chairman of Isle of Harris Distillers, said: “Our 10th birthday is a proud moment for everyone at the distillery. We are a small player in a very competitive, legacy industry, and it is testament to the dedication of our team and the quality of our spirits that we have overcome many challenges and achieved so much in our first decade. When we think back to 2015, The Hearach was just a dream on the distant horizon, and we feel so lucky to be able to share our single malt and our gin with the world.”
“Crafted, matured, married and bottled by hand from our team of local distillers, The Hearach has always been a whisky rooted in place. The Hearach Decade Edition takes this notion even further, infusing the flavour of the land itself into the spirit, bringing to life a dram that’s rooted in island culture and traditions with local peat that has never before been used for whisky. This launch celebrates ten years of our island distillery, and sets the tone for an exciting decade to come.”
The Hearach Decade Edition (46% ABV, £75.00 RRP) will be available exclusively from the distillery and online at www.harrisdistillery.com from 10am on Friday 12 September 2025.
For more information and to shop the core range visit www.harrisdistillery.com