Review #841 - Living Souls Torabhaig 7 Year
In April 2026, we attended a tasting hosted by local specialty spirits shop Storied Company; this tasting was led by the owners of Sacks Dynamic Operations, a company that owns US-based spirits importer ‘Scotch Drinkers Only.’ This importer focuses on independent bottlers and high-quality craft distilleries; some of the brands they represent are Annandale distillery, Holyrood distillery, and indies such as Cree, Lady of the Glen, and Living Souls. We went through a selection of 7 whiskies on the night; this review is 1 of those 7.
Finally, we're getting around to tasting and reviewing a Torabhaig whisky for the first time. Only this isn't an official bottling from Torabhaig; instead, we're tasting the distillery for the first time via an independent bottler, Living Souls. Indie versions of Torabhaig are still a bit uncommon, and this was one of the early examples, though there were several releases from other independent brands in 2025.
The peaty spirit in this bottle was aged in a selection of first fill bourbon barrels for 7 years. This isn't a single cask release, but a small batch, and it was bottled at a strength of 51.5% ABV.
Living Souls Torabhaig 7 Year
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Price: USD 104 (2026)
Age Statement: 7 Years
Strength: 51.5% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon barrels
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; batch #1, bottled 2025
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Sharp and spirity, and there's a very strong coastal character: slate, salt, very briny. Ashy peat builds, and we get fresh scallops and some sweetness from vanilla.
Palate: Both salty and sweet, with vanilla, lemons, and a medium peat smoke influence taking center stage. Very coastal like the nose; later, more orchard fruit like apples comes in.
Finish: Briny, inky, but it slowly grows more delicate. Bright vanilla and some sweetness from the malty spirit linger, and it's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: Very tasty whisky - we really enjoyed our first Torabhaig single malt. It is a bit young and fresh, but there's an amazing coastal character to this whisky, one of the most salt- and mineral-forward drams that we can remember. The peat is relatively strong but not overwhelming, which is a nice touch.
Value is good, a bit above average in this case. So far, our experience with Living Souls has been great, and we'll be looking out for more of their releases in the future.
Our Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.38
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Living Souls reviews:
