Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Isle of Raasay.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Islands (Raasay).
ABV: 61.7%. Cask strength.
Age: 3 years. Distilled in 2018. Bottled in 2022.
Cask type: Ex-Bordeaux wine French oak barrique.
Price: $110 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 10 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: creamy and rich, charcoal smoke, red fruits, sun-dried tomato, earth, fennel seed, red curry paste, sweet buttered popcorn, coal dust.
Palate: full-bodied ~ forest floor, more red fruits and smoke, creamy marinara sauce, savory spices in the background, cinnamon, more sun-dried tomato, oregano.
Finish: long ~ charcoal, spearmint, pepper, vanilla, more sweet smoke, dead leaves, clay, more cinnamon.
Conclusion: Wild notes here…much more savory than I expected, and frankly, excellent. It works better than it has any right to with such disparate flavors under one roof. Raasay released their first round of Na Sia single casks to the US market in 2022-2023, a set of six releases representing the three types of casks and two peating levels used to make their core release. Their Bordeaux casks seem to be the dressing, the ‘top notes’ of their blending—and it’s clear to me, based on the intensity and tenacity of the notes here, why that’s the case. The tomatoes and savory spices are bound to be controversial and not everyone’s cup of tea. For me though, they are incredibly fun. They play well with the strong Highland peat, while the sweeter notes beautifully accent those intertwining savory/smoky strands. I’m impressed that they achieved this in practically the minimum aging time needed to call the liquid Scotch whisky.
Final Score: 89.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 