First Impressions
Isle of Raasay Single Malt — the first legal distillery on the Isle of Raasay, opened September 2017. Founded by Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day, employing 30+ people on the small Hebridean island — becoming central to the community.
The Six-Way Cask Innovation
Uses three cask types — ex-American rye, virgin Chinkapin oak, and ex-Bordeaux red wine — with both peated and unpeated spirit matured separately across all three. Six different maturation paths combined into one whisky. The only such combination in Scotch history. 46.4%, non-chill filtered.
Tasting
Honeyed, smoky nose with baked apple and sourdough. Minerally palate with crisp peat, dark caramel, and biscuity malt — fruit emerging throughout. Subtle smoke finish with salted nuts and butterscotch. Impressive complexity for a young distillery.
The Verdict
Isle of Raasay earns a 7.5 — a genuinely innovative whisky from a community distillery that's doing things no one else has tried. At £55, the price is fair for the ambition. The six-way cask combination creates real complexity. One to watch as the stock matures.
