Isle of Raasay Single Malt Batch R-01

I initially encountered this spirit last October, and it was an unpleasant experience. Tried from a tasting table at a liquor store, I've been left questioning if the bottle was compromised, as I keep hearing positive feedback about this spirit. I really wanted to enjoy this whisky; the bottle itself is deeply connected to geology, featuring a cross-section of the island's geological strata on the label, depicting the Jurassic sandstones its water flows through, with an ammonite incorporated into the bottle's design. This feels like a whisky marketed directly to me. My profound disappointment stemmed from that initial poor experience. I'm grateful to the Wise One for sending me this dram and another opportunity to discover something special. I'll preface this by stating that my original notes are below for transparency, but I'm convinced this isn't the same whisky; just pouring this, I'm certain the previous bottle had been left open, exposed to the sun, or something similar. Public service announcement: Take care of your bottles, people. Nose: Beautifully cool smoke provides a delicate balance of phenols, florals, and hearty smoke. It's like a bonfire in a flower meadow at sunset. There's vanilla, honey, and fresh white bread. The faintest hints of brine and heather are present. It's not particularly deep or complex, but it's soft, cooling, and delightfully delicate to the point where I believe a mere whisper would disrupt the balance. Palate: The entry has a slightly muddled and grainy texture, presenting a quite heavy salt and vegetal peat. Subsequent sips mellow things out, revealing a medium body with a touch of earthiness. The salt persists, and the vegetal notes diminish slightly. The smoke is warm, reminiscent of smoky campfire bread with dark honey, which I suspect is the underlying malt expressing itself. This feels a bit dark with some raw sugar cane sweetness and a good measure of pepper and dry tannins. Finish: Medium-short. Malt-forward with sustained but not overwhelming pepper and a sharply drying tannin-smoke blend. Thank you, I'm very glad to have now tried this as it was intended to be experienced. This is a fantastic new addition from a young distillery. The nose is the highlight for me, while the palate is a fairly standard smoky malt. There's nothing fundamentally wrong here; it's a carefully crafted spirit, with peated and unpeated malt matured in the same three barrel types. In the years to come, I believe this will truly begin to shine with greater depth and subtlety on the palate and a tempered finish that will complement the beautiful nose. If a bottle ended up on my shelf, I wouldn't mind at all. Whisky taste #84 [Pictured here with an Asteroceras ammonite from Dorset, UK. This 190 million-year-old fossil from the Jurassic period is a nod to the ammonite embossed bottle and the Jurassic aquifers through which the source waters flow.] *** Original review: October 7th 2022, 1.75/5 Nose: Raw peat, powerful smoke hits the nose, but there's a faint and acrid undertone that's seriously off-putting. Maybe some cereal, vanilla, and tannins, but mostly it's smoke and Evernote, then a smack of something that makes me want to refresh. Palate: Raw, mulchy vegetal peat. If you've ever eaten a mouthful of peat or mud falling face-first into a Scottish hillside, you'll get this. The smoke is fresh and unrefined and way too overpowering. There are some apple and caramel notes, but they're weakly apparent at best. Maybe a hint of spice? Everything is too young, unrefined, and unblended.

Nose: Gentle, soft smoke somewhere between peat-reek and a bonfire of burning leaves, grass clippings, and heather from a flower garden. Notes of vanilla, honey, steamed asparagus, and subtle citrus fruit, with a hint of maritime brine. Overall, it resembled Highland Park mixed with Old Pulteney – fresh, light, and very agreeable. Palate: Maritime salt upfront, with vegetal and herbal flavors supported by light smoke. As it developed, sweetness emerged, not sugary, but with the sweet/sour taste of baked cereals (rye bread? pumpernickel?) balanced by artichoke brine and black pepper. It had an earthy character and an intriguing hint of tannic red wine. The texture was pleasant but not particularly creamy or full. Finish: Medium. Malt, cereal, cracked black pepper, and barley sugar with a wisp of peat smoke in the aftertaste, along with some brisk, drying tannins. A very pleasant and well-balanced malt whisky. It is youthful but not flawed or inferior for it. It reminded me of many other maritime, mildly smoky young whiskies. This release was a blend of peated and unpeated malts from Raasay, each matured in a combination of three casks. The wood selection was excellent, producing a young whisky with a coquettish flair and just enough cask influence – the distillate character clearly shines through, rather than being dominated by the cask. It also developed in the glass, starting crisp but gaining depth and complexity as it rested. It was delightful neat. Adding a dash of water flattened the nose somewhat and brought out more sweetness while rounding off the peppery spices. While interesting and arguably easier to drink with water, it lost something in the process. I'm adding Isle of Raasay to my list of new Scottish distilleries to follow and sample regularly. “Good”: 84/100 (3.75 stars)

This was a letdown. The distillery is new to the Hebrides Islands, and I'd seen this bottle on auction sites since its release. The attractive bottle design represents the island's rugged terrain, which supposedly influences this single malt's character. The whisky was matured in a mix of six casks: three peated and three unpeated. The unpeated ones used the same cask types as the peated: American white oak, Bordeaux, and rye barrels. This setup suggested good complexity, especially with the 46.4% ABV. Let's see how it turned out: On the nose, it's a bit wine-like and peated, an interesting mix but not particularly inviting. It begins with what you might call a blackberry peat. It has winey, raw meat notes, and a slightly unpleasant smell. There are many rye and grain aromas, along with scents of wet wood and painkillers. After an initial taste, I detected notes of grapes and gooseberries. On the palate, it's a typical rye whiskey experience. Very grainy, like raw rice. It genuinely tastes like uncooked rice added to a rice cooker. It feels natural, with a pleasant rye spice. A second taste was just like sugary corn flakes with milk. The finish was plain and uninspired. Dry, with notes of rye, rice, and sugar syrup. Overall, this young malt needs more time. At times, it felt very unrefined, which isn't necessarily bad, as I enjoy bold, impactful drams. However, the dominant rye profile felt unusual, making it resemble American whiskey. It didn't taste maritime or like something from six casks or a wild island. I don't think it's a bad drink, and perhaps in a decade, it will be remarkable. Right now, it needs less experimental cask use and more aging. My rating is 77 out of 100.

No Age Statement. 46.4% ABV. Unfiltered. No coloring. Nose: Fresh and youthful with notes of brine, lemongrass, pickles, minerals, and dry dark fruits like prunes. The peat was present but its intensity varied based on experience with peat. The aroma suggested an island whisky. Palate: Oak and spices characterized this profile, which was distinctly youthful without being harsh. Sweetness from ripe peaches was present, with a subtle oak presence in the background. Finish: A combination of minerals, white pepper, and honeycomb provided a distinctive end. Maturation details: Two Isle of Raasay spirits – peated and unpeated – were matured separately in first fill Rye whiskey, fresh oak, and first fill Bordeaux red wine casks. These six recipe casks were combined to create an elegant, complex, and characterful dram. Appreciated the proof level. This whisky is not recommended for newcomers to peat. The experience was satisfying, and I would be happy to receive a bottle as a gift.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, July 9th, 2021). Nose: Wood smoke, baking spice, nutmeg, toasted pine nuts, plum, cherry, and light peat. Palate: Salty, gentle peat smoke, creamy/buttery, stewed dark fruit, malt loaf/rye bread, caramel, vanilla, black pepper. Finish: A medium-long finish with toasted oak, buttery caramel, gentle peat and smoke. Earthy notes. Slightly drying. This possesses a wonderfully mild Island character. It's a very comforting dram with a creamy, buttery mouthfeel. The peat is more than a hint but is a gentle note rather than the bold Islay style. A very enjoyable and well-balanced dram.

I’m delighted to have tried this new gem from the Isle of Raasay. Thanks for sharing, [a friend]. The nose is spritely, with notes of springtime moss and coneflower lifting from the glass. Given the youthfulness of the whisky, its taste is malty and pleasantly wort driven. Flavors of yellow pear, fresh lemon zest, and sunflower seed arrive as the scotch comes to the cooler outdoor temperature. The finish is barley-centric and ozonic. Raasay has offered the best first-batch, young scotch I’ve ever tasted, and, already reminiscent of Tobermory and Arran, it promises to be a worthy peer among the Hebrides distilleries.