Whiskies of Old SY (and Around)

With all the fuss over the launch of thon Hearach whisky the other day, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the first time a decent quality uisge-beatha had been distilled on this side of the Minch. 

But of course old SYs who know better will have been chuckling over a nyoggan of Abhainn Dearg (or even a tomhas mór of Old Shoe Burn Embrocation and Sheep Liniment that they’ve been keeping for a special occasion since 1844) and recalling the days when you couldn’t go anywhere from the Butt to Barra without stumbling over a top class artisan boutique craft distillery.

If it wasn’t for an unhappy run of events in the 19th century, that might still be the case today. But sadly, between thon Captain Oliver chasing around in his excise cutter, Sir J*mes M*theson trying to get everyone off the booze so that he could get them on the opium instead, the spread of the cuiream and then the temperance movement, the Outer Hebrides’ great whisky industry of yore was well and truly fleeked by the time a thirsty and disappointed Edward VII staggered up the steps at the pier looking for a decent deoch in 1902.

Unlike most whiskies, the Outer islands’  distilleries didn’t approve of maturing the drink in ready made sherry casks and the like, but instead got a few wee coves to nail together the remains of herring infused fish boxes into a passable resemblance of a barrel.

Left-over wood from old kipper boxes was particularly prized for the distinctive flavour that it imparted, and connoisseurs of the smokier dram would argue long into the night about the merits of wood from Maciver’s, McConnechy’s or Cailean Neillie’s.

Indeed, if you asked any truly discerning whisky enthusiast what their one wish would be, it’d be to travel back in time to the golden age of Outer Hebridean distilling in the early-mid 1800s. There, the connoisseur would find a literally unbelievable variety of artisan local drams on offer, inhabiting every market niche from “dirt cheap and fleekeen awful” blends to “overhyped and overpriced and still fleekeen awful” molts. (“Molt whiskies” were so called because they were often used to treat sheep scab and footrot). 

Here are but a few of the better known Outer Hebridean whiskies from these great days:

Famous Gress

Whyte & McAyeayecove

Spewers

Crawfter’s Five Star

Bell’s (Road)

Balallantine’s

Cuddy Sark

J&E

Back Bottle

Cac & Sh*te

Langa-vat 69

White Horshader

Seonaidh Waulk-er

Sheep-as Regal

Laxdalevullin

Cragganscornermore

La-froagy

Tomintolsta

Old Poultry

Manky Shader

Royal Bragar

The Macbalallan

Highland Parkend

Bunnahabhainneadar (the original Hearach whisky – very popular with the whalers).

Tarasgeir (heavily peated, of course, and much better than its later Sgiathanach cousin)

Ceard-beg

(Cailean)Bowmore

Glenfidigarry

Willowglenlivit

Glenmawangie

Highland Cearc

Glengarryvard

Glengarrynahine

Glengarry-nin

Dalmore (huidh, wait a minute…)

… and we are sure that our readers could name many more.

Historical Footnote: A surprising number of  readers – and indeed, sometimes even scholars of the cratur who should know better – are under the mistaken impression that Stornoway’s old Shoe Burn distillery was so called because of its proximity to Allt Nam Bròg, where generations of Maws would put on their posh town wellies before venturing into the metropolis. 

In fact, the distillery was so called because of the corrosive effect of its product when it came into contact with normal footwear. 

This, of course, was what led island proprietor James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie and distillery manager Thomas McNee to commission German boot expert Dr Donner M Marten to design a range of practical yet fashionable “oil, fat, acid, alkali, and fleekeen ruppish whisky resistant” industrial footwear for the workforce.  

After much trial and error the good Doctor came up with his famous “Airidh-wear” soles, fondly known by generations of Stornowegians as ‘Donnie Murdos’.

The Shoe Burn management and workers were so grateful to Herr Doktor that they raised a public subscription and built the town’s Marten’s Memorial church in his honour. (The spelling was subsequently changed during the Great War when German things went out of fashion). 

In fact, next time you’re in Martin’s, keep an eye out and you chust might spot the discreetly placed carving of a size 10 pair of 8-eyelet cherry red 1460s that has delighted students of ecclesiastical architecture for over a century.