Meet the distiller: Niall Culbertson, Torabhaig Distillery, Isle of Skye
In this month’s meet the distiller, we chat to Niall Culbertson from Torabhaig Distillery.
Full name and distillery you work at
Niall Culbertson, distiller at Torabhaig Distillery, Isle of Skye.
What made you want to work in whisky?
My dad was a fisherman, and I grew up right by the water, a mile or so from where Torabhaig now stands - boats and the sea are how I remember this place long before it was a distillery. So when it opened, it felt like the natural place to be.
How did you get into the distiller role you're in now?
I joined Torabhaig in 2017 as one of the founding distillers. I got to run the first spirit through the stills. We were all trained from scratch here on Skye, and I've been distilling ever since - though the team has grown a bit since those early days.
What is something surprising that people might not know about your role?
I actually came into this with a background in biochemistry, so people assume I run the process by numbers. It doesn't really work like that - you learn to read the spirit and know when to let it find its own balance, same as everyone else here. It's as much a feel for the thing as it is a science. When it comes to our roles at Torabhaig, people would probably be surprised just how many different aspects we turn our hands to. We all take turns mashing, distilling and in the warehouse. In the summer when production is lower we help maintain the grounds and gardens. We help out in the visitor centre and look after guests. It can vary a lot, which is a good thing.
What characteristics are you looking for in the whiskies you make and how do they represent the region/distillery?
For me it's about capturing this place - the coast, the sea air, the maritime character of Skye - in the glass. Mine is bright and tropical with a real coastal edge, which steps beyond Torabhaig's peated "Smoke with Taste" house style. My father is a rum drinker so I wanted this to nod to that also. Overall the idea of an evening bonfire on the shore was in my mind and I think I have managed to at least hint at that.
What was the first whisky you ever tried?
I'm not sure what it was, it didn't leave a good impression. In truth I steered away from whisky until I found myself working behind a bar many years later, and it wasn't until I joined Torabhaig that my eyes were opened to the variety and quality that was out there.
Tell us about your new make, and what makes it so special?
Mine is a nod to my childhood coming to the bay by boat - I wanted a bright, coastal whisky with an unmistakable maritime character. I have always associated rum with the sea, and leaned into that, trying to bring as many esters through as possible through a long, hot fermentation with two different yeasts. I also used a small portion of brown malt and dark crystal malt over a lightly peated base. It came out even better than I'd hoped - all the tropical fruit and maritime notes I was aiming for and that I knew would work well when matured in rum casks as well as ex-bourbon. There was even a brine maritime note I hadn't planned for which I think is part of the core Torabhaig character.
Are you working on any exciting new releases this year?
Not only are we launching our own expressions but these are the first bottles from The Distillers' Series ever, so it's doubly exciting for Iona and myself to be the first of the distillers to see their whisky out in the world. Each year we'll see our colleagues add their own interpretation of the brief and I can't wait to see all the bottles sitting beside each other.
Who is your whisky hero?
Our mentor, Kenny Gray, Kenny did so much for us. He was our mentor for our IBD qualification and our first port of call with any difficulties we had with our own spirits. I'm glad he got to see them launched.
What's your unpopular whisky opinion?
Even the experts are only scratching the surface.
If your whisky was a movie star, who would they be?
I'll stick with the maritime theme and say Russell Crowe in his Master and Commander era.
Describe your whisky in three words
Bright, tropical, coastal.
Now describe yourself in three words
Rooted, curious, open-minded.
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