Scottish oak is very porous and notoriously hard to work with, which is one of the reasons why distillers often rely on American or European oak. We’re not seeing these Scottish oak finishes often – the GlenAllachie 8 yo is the only one I can remember. Early 2026 The Whisky Exchange selected a cask of Torabhaig that was finished in Scottish Oak.
Torabhaig 7 yo 2018 (58,7%, OB for The Whisky Exchange 2025, Scottish oak cask #2829, 251 btl.)
Nose: a very deep smokiness that reminds me of Thy’s beechwood. Warm, dark sooty notes combined with aniseed and mintiness. Then bacon over a wood fire, damp leaves, hints of green apples, cinnamon pastry and beautiful resinous notes. Some pine needles, a subtle floral touch and old leather as well. Really nice.
Mouth: now the oak becomes a little sharper and a little plankish, even though it has much of the same qualities. Dark, brooding smoke with an underpinning of fresh tar, along with peppermint, wholegrain bread and sweetened black tea. Lemons and ashes. Then some salted caramel leading up to dark chocolate and crushed black peppercorns.
Finish: long, sharp and peaty. Some salty notes and green pepper, along with deep wood smoke.
The oak works in both ways here: on the nose it ads a lot of depth that goes well with the deep smokiness. On the palate it’s slightly sharper and more intrusive, close to a classic virgin oak finish. Overall one of the nicer Torabhaig expressions I’ve tried. Exclusively available from The Whisky Exchange.