Isle of Raasay Single Malt Inaugural Release

Here we go again with another inaugural malt. These releases are like IPOs...they come out pre-market at one price, and then start trading on day one with inflated valuations (yes...looking at you ABNB). I was fortunate enough to acquire this for only £60 when it was first offered two years ago. For that price, I couldn't pass it up. Unfortunately, all 3000 bottles sold out and are now fetching over £500 on the secondary market. So... if I may indulge in a brief soapbox moment --- Folks, what are you doing? Paying £500 for a 3-year-old just to say you own a first release? Why are we inflating the prices of these 3-year-olds when for that amount of money, you could get an exceptionally good 30-year-old?! It's us driving up prices, not the distilleries – it's us, the consumers. These are highly illiquid (especially in the US), making them a poor investment choice. We need to stop driving up prices for new malts simply because they have an 'inaugural' label. Anyway... stepping off my soapbox. Now, for the tasting: First, the bottle design. I adore the depiction of the island seaside. The liquid's color is equally captivating. The red wine influence is evident in that hue. It's lightly peated, so you get a gentle smoke aroma with berries. Taste—apricots, gentle smoke, cherries. A fruity, lightly smoked dram. Very well executed, and a promising start for this young spirit. If you can find a pour at a reasonable price, it's worth trying. But paying astronomical secondary market prices makes no sense.

The nose is bright, peaty and quite heavily influenced by the Bordeaux wine casks. Mild peaty tones in the mouth, more wine influence and a soft sweetness going over to some light spicy aftertaste. It is a pleasant whisky which I feel is being quite dominated by the Bordeaux casks. Looking forward to tasting a longer matured offering without any cask finishing! My mind is jumping in the direction of a strange, less briny Talisker offshoot. The color is quite something, it really has a red coppery tone to it.

Gentle smoke. Everything is mild. Someone else described this as "featureless," and it truly is. What it doesn't have in intensity, it also doesn't have in polish. It might improve with time, but at the moment it's quite unremarkable.

Meh. Surprising for a 3-year-old whisky, but the flavor is a bit nondescript for now. It will likely be interesting in 10 years. For the moment, it was unmemorable! Tasted at L'Ile Noire in 2022-07.

Strong fruit aroma, with a slight light peat. Those who regularly drink peated whisky might not perceive its peatiness.

Smooth body, peaty aroma, not charred.