official information:
The Isle of Raasay Single Malt Inaugural Release is lightly peated with rich dark fruit flavours.
This limited edition first release is matured in first fill American oak, and finished in 21 exclusive first fill Bordeaux red wine casks. Bottled at 52% abv, non-chill filtered and natural colour. Our Inaugural Release bottles will be sequentially numbered at the time of bottling.
We have created an elegant, lightly peated (15-20 Peat or Phenol Parts Per Million) single malt by taking a premium, narrow cut of our spirit run.
100% Scottish barley is mashed with mineral-rich water from our well to produce a wash that ferments for three to five days. These long fermentations, combined with the manganese from our water, create sweet blackberry characteristics in our spirit before it even touches the oak of the cask. From mashing to bottling – Raasay water is used throughout production, adding character to the spirit at every stage.
Falling as rain on Dùn Cana, the island’s highest peak, our water flows across volcanic rock and filters through Jurassic sandstone into our distillery well, known as Tobar na Ba Bàine (the Well of the Pale Cow). Our high quality American oak barrels develop almond, hazelnut, and sweet spice flavours in the spirit, and the previous bourbon contents develop caramel, toffee, and creamy chocolate notes.The final maturation in French oak casks develops savoury spice flavours, and the Bordeaux red wine infused oak brings rich dark fruit notes to the fore.
Our inaugural release spirit is a one-off expression matured in American oak and finished in Bordeaux red wine casks. This release is the all-important link between our lightly peated, fruity independent bottling, Raasay While We Wait Single Malt, and our forthcoming signature Isle of Raasay Single Malt, released in 2021.
