The first legal distillery on the Hebridean island. Raasay’s single malt release is an mixture of unpeated and peated spirits aged in first-fill Rye whiskey casks, virgin Chinkapin oak and first-fill Bordeaux red wine casks.
“Two Isle of Raasay spirits – peated and unpeated – are matured separately in first fill Rye whiskey, fresh Chinkapin oak and first fill Bordeaux red wine casks.
These six recipe casks marry together to create the perfect dram with real elegance, complexity and depth of character.
Every drop of spirit is distilled, matured and bottled on the Isle of Raasay using water from our well: Tobar na Ba Bàine (the Well of the Pale Cow).”
Isle of Raasay Distillery
Appearance: Honey gold, apple juice. Nice and vibrant, thin swirl tide marks, eventually form medium to thick viscous legs. Good start!
Nose: Not too much ethanol. Coastal air, seaweed, honey sweetness and a depth of fruit aromas.
The first time I nosed this (while pouring samples) it reminded me of Currach, which is no bad thing. It’s a lovely salty & herbal aroma, adding interest and balance to the nose.
There is that sweet smokiness mixing about with the other aromas too, a distant beach BBQ. A touch medicinal, that band-aid scent.
As the glass matures, the sweeter aromas come into play. Icing sugar, petrichor and the fruits, which were initially in the background, start to muscle in on the salinity and herbal scents.
The nose develops into a more dessert wine experience, richer and more luxurious. There’s a zingy, sharper citrus edge to it too.
Just got dying BBQ embers on the nose as I took a sip. LOVELY aroma
Palate: Lovely buttery arrival. I was expecting a less viscous delivery but this is a very welcome surprise. White chocolate, spices (black pepper, cinnamon and lemon pepper), the honey is still there, it’s a tad floral actually, under the more dominant notes.
Now and then, I got lemon when exhaling
Grapefruit now (not my favourite flavour (personal taste). A tiny bit of smoke for me, I never get masses of smoke on anything but Islays on the palate to be fair.
Finish: The finish of this is just as good as the nose and palate. Slight smokiness and spice, honey and more sugary notes rolled in too. Wonderful!
Overall: Great for any age whiskey, incredible for 3 years. Good lord!
