Although we differ in hours of sunshine, the good people of Hawaii and Fiji know it as well as we do, island time is a real thing.
Life here in Harris is lived at a different pace, a culture which has evolved naturally from our distance from big cities and closeness to the rhythms of the natural world.
Despite the advent of high-speed broadband and the many other tenets of modern life which have taken hold here in Harris, there’s still a deep sense of patience pervading the day-to-day.
There are no 24-hour stores and on Sundays (almost) every business is closed. Combined with bad weather and even worse ferry services, the shop shelves are often bereft of basic supplies.
Travelling our long and winding single-tracked roads involves pausing in passing places, and local livestock provides regular delays, making journeys a very stop-start affair.
Next Day Delivery just isn’t feasible even for Amazon and Royal Mail. So, all in all, we’re quite used to waiting, and dealing with the absence of instant gratification.
So, we’ve been also in no rush to release our first, historic single malt to the world. We’re happy to wait patiently until the whisky is at its best and worthy of bearing our island's name.
Exactly when that will be only time and taste will tell.
But, we appreciate the rest of the world is keen for good news and so next week we’ll be giving all you whisky lovers a full update on our progress to date.
Right now we can tell you that The Hearach single malt whisky promises to be an Outer Hebridean dram of distinction.
Lightly peated, to evoke the gentle whiff of village fires, it will combine spirit drawn from both our bourbon and sherry barrels in careful balance.
Complex and full of Isle of Harris character, we look forward to sharing a glass with you someday soon, but not too soon.
Meantime, thank you to all The 1,916 and private cask owners for their patience, and to everyone else who has supported our enterprise in a myriad of different ways.
Your investment and enthusiasm have allowed us to grow sustainably and build a business and team which will bring a historic island dram into being when the time is right.
Life takes time, but that time is getting ever nearer. Make no mistake, The Hearach is coming…