Raasay Lightly Peated R-02.1 (46.4%)

This Isle of Raasay single malt and bottled at 46.4%. The Isle of Raasay Distillery, opened in 2017, is the first legal distillery on its tiny Hebridean island. R&B Distillers, founded by Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day, built the distillery from a blank sheet in 2017.

It was worked through a lantern wash still with a cooling jacket and a swan neck spirit still, following a fermentation as long as 118 hours, drawing out a dark berry sweetness. A red wine cask lent blackberry, plum and a wine stained colour. No age is given, but the lively fruit marks it as a young Raasay. First fill and virgin casks work quickly on young spirit, so even a few years bring real depth. The island had a long history of illicit distilling before the first legal still arrived. Mineral rich water from the island well shapes the spirit before it meets the cask. The distillery does everything in house, from mashing to bottling, on the island.

At an easy 46.4% it is gentle. The wine cask adds blackberry, plum and a red berry lift, with a soft island smoke behind. Beneath it run blackberry, vanilla and a touch of spice. It closes long, fruity and warm. This is a young, vibrant island malt from Raasay.