Coracle Cask Isle of Harris Private Bottling

Coracle Cask Isle of Harris Private Bottling

Region: Highlands

ABV: 60.2%

Price: £50.00

A single cask private bottling of Harris whisky from a first fill bourbon barrel. The cask was filled on the 2nd May 2016 and emptied on 11th November 2025, then bottled at natural cask strength. Outturn was 230 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with lemon drop sweets, chocolate digestive biscuits, Appletiser, and candy floss. Behind those notes there are hints of vanilla custard biscuits and sea salt, as if being slapped in the face by sea spray on a windy day. We are not getting a huge amount of peat here, but there is definitely a charred note like burnt wood. The alcohol is well integrated, with the ABV barely showing.

Palate

The palate opens with a big hit of limoncello and whipped cream, before turning quite salty on the mid palate. There are also notes of Biscoff tiramisu, ground coffee bitterness, and a little orange bitters. Again, like the nose, there is not a huge amount of peat, but there is definitely an earthy character here. A vegetal note appears too, like we have had our mouths shoved into a peat bog, though it is far from an in-your-face peat blast. The medium-length finish brings a light pepper spice, joined by a hint of Caramac. The mouthfeel is solid.

Nose (with water)

Water intensifies that light charred note and brings out a little more cask influence. However, the sweetness now leans more towards synthetic sugar, think s’mores, rather than the fruitier notes from before. Water also brings out more sea spray and a hint of whipped cream. The alcohol remains in good balance.

Palate (with water)

Water intensifies that dried earth note, with the citrus now not appearing until the mid palate. The peat level is slightly increased as well. It remains an earthy peat, but it is more prominent now. The dram is also a little sweeter, with notes of caramel showing from the start to the finish. The mouthfeel has held up and the finish remains medium in length, though it feels just a touch spicier. Other than that, it is not wildly different.

Conclusion

A versatile dram. We can see ourselves enjoying this in the summer just as easily as beside a roaring fire in winter. While not without flaws, we cannot deny that it is a cracking wee dram and an interesting insight into how Harris is developing with a little more age.

Score: 7/10

Value

We picked this up for £50 a bottle, which gives a bit of insight into what it can cost to bottle a private cask. Irrelevant of that, we think it was more than a fair price.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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