Torabhaig’s Sound of Sleat Batch Strength: A New Island Icon

If you’re the kind of man who checks the weather before picking his whisky, Torabhaig’s latest release might be your new seasonal essential. The Isle of Skye distillery — the first new one on the island in nearly two centuries — has just unveiled Sound of Sleat Batch Strength, a single malt designed for the kind of nights when smoke, sea spray and cold air feel like part of the ritual.

This is the sixth release in Torabhaig’s Legacy Series, which has quietly been shaping one of the most distinctive new voices in Scotch whisky. Bottled at a bold 60.2% ABV, Sound of Sleat Batch Strength builds on the success of the original Sound of Sleat by intensifying its maritime and smoky character. Think of it as the same story told louder — bonfire embers, brine, citrus, oak spice — but with the same elegant structure that’s made Torabhaig’s “well-tempered peat” a signature of the brand.

For those unfamiliar, the name comes from the stretch of sea separating Skye from the mainland — a fitting metaphor for a whisky that bridges refinement and ruggedness. Matured in a mix of ex-bourbon and new American oak casks, it’s both clean and coastal, with a waxy texture and the kind of heat that pairs well with an autumn evening.

Whisky maker Neil MacLeod Mathieson describes the release as “big and elegant, with more spiciness and a lovely waxy mouthfeel.” It’s a whisky that doesn’t overcomplicate things but rewards patience — a slow-burner, both literally and figuratively.

Design-wise, the bottle continues Torabhaig’s collaboration with Ellis O’Connor, a Skye-based artist whose abstract work captures the energy of the island’s wild landscape. It’s a thoughtful touch — not flashy, but confident in its connection to place.

At £75 and limited to 15,000 bottles worldwide, Sound of Sleat Batch Strength is collectible without feeling precious. It’s whisky meant to be opened, not displayed — poured after a long week or shared outdoors as the temperature drops.

Torabhaig may be a young distillery, but it’s already proving that modern Scotch doesn’t need to abandon tradition to feel fresh. Sound of Sleat Batch Strength isn’t just made for the season — it sounds like it.

Available now at The Whisky Shop.