Isle of Raasay Hebridean Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

 

The Hebrides is a group of over 40 islands off Scotland's western coast. It is divided into two groups: Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. The former is on the eastern side, closer to the mainland. These islands are sparsely populated, and most of their inhabitants are farmers, weavers, and fishermen. Most of the islands you’ve likely never heard of. Others, such as Jura, Mull, Skye, and Islay, are known to whisky connoisseurs.

 

Raasay is located between Skye and the mainland. Its biggest claim to fame is as the birthplace of the Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean, and its name translates to Isle of the Roe Deer. The island has been in a state of decline; its population in 1803 was about 900 and now hovers at about 190. Raasay has the smallest percentage of children of all the inhabited Scottish islands. Its population continues to shrink, whereas the other islands have seen growth.

 

The island has been home to countless illicit distilleries over the centuries. In 2013, Bill Dobbie and Alastair Day formed R&B Distillers to build an artisanal distillery. It took them two years to settle on Raasay and another year to get approval to convert the 19^th-century Borodale House into a distillery, visitor’s center, and hotel, and on September 14, 2017, Isle of Raasay Distillery became the first legal distillery on the island.

 

“Inspiration for the Isle of Raasay Single Malt came from some older styles of Hebridean single malts. Styles that had been lost through the ages and are not as prevalent anymore. This became the inspiration for the Isle of Raasay Distillery signature flavour profile: a lightly peated whisky, balanced with rich dark fruit flavours.” – Isle of Raasay Distillery

 

That brings us to today’s review: Isle of Raasay Hebridean Single Malt Scotch Whisky (that’s a mouthful!). It starts with malted and unmalted 100% Scottish barley, which, after distillation, has been placed in first-fill American Rye, new Chinkapin oak, and first-fill Bordeaux wine casks. They call it their Six Cask Recipe.

 

It is okay if you’ve read that twice and only counted three casks. Each cask type has one that is peated and one that is unpeated. Once each has fully matured, the contents of those casks are married. The result is a non-chill filtered, naturally colored single malt Scotch whisky packaged at 46.4% ABV (92.8°).

 

While it carries no age statement, we can assume it is, at most, seven years old because the distillery does not source anything. You can expect to pay about $79.00 for a 700ml.  

 

Before I get to the #DrinkCurious part, I must thank ImpEx Beverages, the exclusive US distributor for Isle of Raasay Distillery, for providing me with a sample of this whisky in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: Inside my glass, the liquid was a brilliant gold. A medium rim formed, and it took some time, but eventually, slow, widely-spaced, medium tears fell.

 

Nose: As I allowed the whisky to breathe, the smell of smoky peat filled my whiskey library. When I brought it under my nostrils, the smoke became rich. I could also discern an earthy quality, along with grapes, toffee, and oak. Drawing the air into my mouth allowed me to experience chocolate.

 

Palate: I found the light, creamy texture welcoming. The front of my palate encountered cocoa, nutmeg, and campfire smoke. I tasted plums, cherries, and butterscotch at the midpoint. The back consisted of candied ginger, oak, and vanilla.

 

Finish: A creamy sensation carried from the initial sip until the final moment. Salted caramel, bold ginger, sweet peat, and oak spice remained. I timed it at 1:48, placing it in a medium-long duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Skye is next door to Raasay (many on the island commute daily to Skye). The environments should be similar; for whatever reason, I assumed this to be close in nature to Talisker. Yeah, I was wrong about that. Whereas Talisker is peppery, Isle of Raasay is a sweeter whisky. Finding notes of butterscotch in a peated whisky is highly unusual.  

 

Bill and Alastair have hit on something well-balanced and would appeal to folks who enjoy peated whiskies. At the same time, those looking for toe-dipping opportunities would find Isle of Raasay’s flagship Scotch to fit the bill.

 

Some may find a non-age-stated whisky pricy at nearly $80.00. Those people need to get past that. In my opinion, Isle of Raasay Hebridean Single Malt is a delicious Scotch that’s well worth your consideration, and as such, it earns every bit of my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.