Abhainn Dearg distillery ( ) or Red River distillery is a
Scotch whisky distillery in
Uig, on the west coast of the
Isle of Lewis in the
Outer Hebrides.
It is the most westerly distillery in Scotland. The name is
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...
for "Red River" which itself takes its name from a bloody skirmish in the dark ages when local people won a battle against
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
marauders.
History
Under the ownership of Mark Tayburn, the distillery commenced production in September 2008.
The distillery was built in a former
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...
hatchery (and some of the pens are still in use producing fish).
The still house is a new building and incorporates titled still heads in an unusual design modelled on former illicit stills in the area
The distillery uses water from nearby Loch Raonasgail via the Abhainn Dearg.
The first whisky was released in 2011 and was named the "Spirit of Lewis".
Products
*Spirit of Lewis
A 40% abv new make spirit aged for a few months on sherry oak casks.
*Spirit of Lewis Cask Strength for The Whisky Barrel
Matured in
Sherry
Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...
hogshead cask for three months and bottled at natural strength 56%.
*Abhainn Dearg Single Malt Special Edition
Matured in
Bourbon Bourbon may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash
* Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels
* Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit
* A beer produced by Bras ...
casks and bottled at 46% with just 3 years old. A limited edition inaugural release of 2,011 bottles.
*Abhainn Dearg 3 Year Old Single Malt Cask Strength for The Whisky Barrel
Miniature bottling of the 3 year old
Scotch matured in a
Bourbon Bourbon may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash
* Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels
* Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit
* A beer produced by Bras ...
barrel and bottled at natural strength 58%.
*Abhainn Dearg 10 Year Old Single Malt
Matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 46% ABV it is the oldest whisky to be produced by a legal distillery in the Outer Hebrides.
See also
*
List of whisky brands
*
List of distilleries in Scotland
This is an incomplete list of whisky distilleries in Scotland. According to the Scotch Whisky Association there were 138 distilleries licensed to produce Scotch whisky in the calendar year 2020.
Currently operating distilleries
Malt whisky di ...
References
External links
abhainndearg.co.uk– official website
Distilleries in Scotland
2007 establishments in Scotland
Organisations based in the Outer Hebrides
Buildings and structures in the Isle of Lewis
Scottish malt whisky
British companies established in 2007
{{Scotland-company-stub