Destilerías Acha is one of the oldest businesses in continuous operation in the Basque Country of Spain. Founded in Bilbao, Acha grew and gained recognition as one of Spain’s top distilleries until it began to fall into neglect in the 1980s. Descendent of the distillery’s namesake Gabriel Acha took control of the distillery in 2002, bringing it back to solid ground. Gabriel sought to revitalize traditional products like the famous Acha Pacharán and classic Basque vermouths, and drew inspiration from the example of his ancestor, Manuel Acha, in exploring new territory in the world of craft spirits. 

The story of whisky at Distilerías Acha goes back to 1926 when Martín Acha, the grandson of Manuel, was studying in Scotland. At the urging of his grandfather, he learned the techniques for making and maturing whisky — following just eight years behind Masataka Taketsuru, one of the primary founders of Japanese whisky, who traveled to Scotland to do the same. Although the Acha family’s dreams of producing a whisky lay dormant for decades, until they were finally awakened and realized by the current generation, Gabriel Acha. Gabriel is driven by his vision that the Basque terroir can yield an exceptional quality whisky that is fresh and modern, yet deeply rooted in tradition.

Acha’s ‘Haran’ line of malt whiskies are named for the Basque word for ‘valley’, in reference to the Ayala Valley, adjacent to the distillery in the village of Amurrio. The top marque in the series, Haran 21-year is 100% malt, blended from 10 casks of American, French, and Iberian origin. The mild, cool climate of the Basque Country encourages subtlety as each barrel imparts its flavors—honey, balsamic, toast, baked fruit—to this luxury whisky. The all-local malt is kiln-dried with live oak wood, imparting a rich, nuanced, integrated smoke character. After fermentation and double-distillation in Acha’s historic Hervé & Moulin copper pot still, the whisky is downproofed with local mountain spring water, then ages in oak barrels toasted to varying degrees. Haran 21-year is extremely limited, with only 2100 bottles yielded, making it among the rarest Spanish whiskies in existence.

Flavor Profile – The nose of Haran 21-year shows vibrant floral and fruity characteristics, with grainy/cereal undertones, grounded by a spicy, honeyed-balsamic quality. Smoke reveals itself on the palate, with unctuous malt, along with the substantial barrel impact from over two decades of aging—earthy, vegetal, spiced, and intensely satisfying.

→ Tech Sheet

→ Back to Destilerías Acha