Isle of Tiree distillery

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Isle of Tiree Distillery
Isle of Tiree Distillery Logo.png
Tyree Gin - geograph.org.uk - 6349787.jpg
Location1A West Hynish, Isle of Tiree, PA77 6UF, Scotland, United Kingdom
Coordinates 56°27′14″N6°56′23″W / 56.4539°N 6.9396°W / 56.4539; -6.9396
OwnerTiree Whisky Co. Ltd.
Founded2019;7 years ago (2019)
FounderAlain Campbell
Ian Smith
StatusOperational
No. of stills3 [1]
Capacity5000 litres [1]
Website www.tyreegin.com
Location
Isle of Tiree distillery

Isle of Tiree distillery is a single malt whisky and gin distillery in West Hynish, Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

Contents

The distillery opened in 2019, and the first whisky from the distillery was released in 2025.

History

The Tiree Whisky Company was founded in 2012 by Alain Campbell and Ian Smith. [2] The two were musicians in a Scottish folk band, Trail West. [3] The purpose of the project was to provide stable employment to the founders outwith the band, and to raise the profile of the island. [4]

The distillery was constructed in a shed owned by Smith's father, and the first run of spirit was in 2019. [5] The remoteness of the site initially caused issues; the stills had to be adapted to work without three-phase electrical power, and the water was some of the hardest in the UK, necessitating the installation of extra filters. [6]

The stills are direct-fired and a former sherry barrel is used for the mash tun. [3] Fermentation is in a combination of sherry barrels and stainless steel fermenters. [5]

The company claims that Tiree was the first legal distillery on the island since 1801. [4]

Products

The first product distilled at Isle of Tiree was a gin, Tiree Gin. At first, the gin was contract-distilled in London using Tiree kelp, and was released at the 2017 Tiree Music Festival. [4] [6] Once the distillery was built, production of the gin moved to the island, and the first batch of island-distilled gin was released in May 2019. [7]

Isle of Tiree released their first single malt whisky in January 2025, which was matured in four casks: virgin oak, Heaven Hill bourbon cask, and two oloroso sherry casks. [5] 800 bottles were made, with the first 10 bottles being auctioned in support of charities on Tiree. [2] The distillery also produces corn whisky and rye whisky. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 Ronde, Ingvar (2025). Malt Whisky Yearbook 2026. Shrewsbury: MagDig Media Limited. p. 183. ISBN   978-1-7394492-2-3.
  2. 1 2 Forbes, Ellie (14 January 2025). "Isle of Tiree Distillery launches the island's first legal whisky in more than 200 years". Scottish Field. Archived from the original on 13 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Hill, Katherine (29 March 2025). "The rockers who set up a whisky distillery on a tiny Scottish island". Archived from the original on 5 February 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "The story behind the Isle of Tiree's first legal distillery in over 200 years". The Scotsman. 15 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Schofield, Lucy (21 January 2025). "INTERVIEW: Isle of Tiree co-founders on their inaugural single malt". Whisky Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 November 2025.
  6. 1 2 "A New Chapter in Scottish Gin: As told by Ian Smith, Co-Founder and Distiller at Tiree Whisky Company". The Gin Cooperative. 4 April 2020. Archived from the original on 14 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "The first spirit in 217 years distilled on Tiree". The Scottish Gin Society. 21 May 2019. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025.
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