Raasay Inaugural Release Limited Edition First Release

Gentle smoke Very berry driven, quite powerful and @52% it definitely benefits from a touch of water. Slightly tannic and pepper initially Berries and dusted cocoa Medium finish with more red Berries and hazelnut

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2021/04/01/blind-leading-the-blind-a-juicy-revision-session/ Still in keeping with our serendipitous red wine theme, it’s the perfect time to bring out Raasay’s inaugural release, made up from 121 casks. Let’s remind ourselves of the wood policy/makeup, as outlined by Alastair Day last year: Virgin Chinkapin, Ex-Woodford Reserve Rye, and Ex-Bordeaux Red Wine – peated and < unpeated. Further reading: [WLP]. C: Boy, would you look at the secondary prices for this rrp-£99 3yo !! Still, that’s nothing on Dornoch. Initial impressions only [as it’s getting on]: this whisky is – as expected – very ok, and without any blatant STR or forced PX etc,. profiling – yay! Still, is it a little sweet? Well yes, but no more so than many of the previous red wine-influenced drams enjoyed this evening. Great job. Provisionally scores [+/-]82 points

Definitely not mine

Good island whisky, pleasant to drink and at the same time with a strong and decisive character. Much better without water.

I think it's great to be able to drink it. They did well. Not a high-flyer (where should that come from anyways?), but I'm looking forward to drinking it again. Maybe compared to something else from the distillery. Full review, including some cask samples (German): https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2021/02/17/six-spirits-of-christmas-und-ein-inaugural-release/

Poor fruit from raspberries, strawberries to mango with extra mash, bitumen and eagle owl and some smoke. Strawberries and raspberries that are oversalted in the mouth with fresh tar, charred wood and burnt pudding. Finish: bitumen, over-salted raspberries. What a mess, after smelling I put 1.8cl back into the sample bottle. Without the superfluous red wine barrel it would probably have been delicious. 50 points. Thanks to Korhorry for opening this too. image

I was initially skeptical about Raasay whiskies. I didn't really like the first one, and the price is quite high for a young whisky. This one, however, managed to charm me to a limited extent. They certainly don't distill standard whiskies and distinguish themselves with a unique and distinctive flavor profile. You either love it or hate it. Taste is and always will be a subjective matter.

Don't fall for the hype. This might be a limited first release of a 3-year-old (!) whisky, but the high ratings come from scalpers who just bought it to resell it at once here or on ebay. Don't give them your money.

Thanks to kfhakan for the sample. Raasay have without doubt done everything in the book to present the Inaugural as something special. And as a 3 year old single malt it actually is. Too bad that a lot of these first releases will be sitting on shelves as investments. For those that pop the bottle and drink it, it will without doubt create confidence to buy the coming regular release. The question however is if the "normal" distillate can live up to this "premium cut".

Spicy, ash, dried orange peel, wood, toasted aromas, vanilla, candy. Balanced, creamy, grainy, vanilla sweetness, good body, good intensity, good finish.

Strong peat, red fruits, cooked vegetables, interesting

Matured in first fill Tennessee Whisky and finished in first fill Bordeaux red wine casks.

Gently and sweet smoke, but a bit harsh on the palate. Water adds a lot of fresh and dried fruits on palate and finish but be careful, on the nose vanishes quickly.

with water: you have to be very careful, the nose can handle some water, but on the tongue and in the finish it breaks down pretty quickly Conclusion: as the nerd likes to say when he wants to say something nice: Promising. I really like the peat smoke character, but the red wine barrels are too dominant for me, as are the virgin oak barrels that are probably used in some cases. Yes, you have to somehow stuff aromas into a 3-year-old whisky, so I understand this choice of barrel. Give the malt good ex-bourbon barrels and 10-12 years - then it could really become something. Promising.

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.

Scores with a great abundance of flavors, which gives an idea of where the journey could lead. Of course, he cannot hide the moments of unbalanced youth.

For a first release I would have preferred either a bourbon or sherry maturation - the red wine cask sometimes hides a multitude of sins, but here it struggles to mask it at all. Unbalanced, aggressive - reminds me of a few politicians.

Initial Price at distillery 99 GBP. I seriously don't know (ok, maybe I have a guess) why people put up a beautiful high rating and set it for 600+ € for sale and then daily / weekly lower the price tag (to still ridicously expectations...). This just makes me sad.

Tasted on February 27, 2024. Personally too dry for me because of the red wine.

It exudes its aroma even before I put my nose in the glass: A nice sweetness, a little smoke, bitter herbs. Then take a closer look at wood glue, spices. Very powerful in the beginning, really voluminous. The taste is reminiscent of a Kilchoman. Lots of laurel, little wood, a hint of smoke. Very nice...

not sure what to think of that I can feel the smoke but it's OK Despite its young age, the malt wants to have time in the glass Water makes you drinkable after the smoke is gone I like it a lot; is then better than the waiting bottlings

The more I give it a chance the worst I think it is... I just can't stand this red wine flavours in my whisky. I hope they'll make their whisky shine in a proper ex-bourbon barrel in a future.

Initial release is higher than 7500 pcs as recently (3) received bottles are approx. around no. 7990. Looks like Raasay has released some of the bottles originally intended for hotels/bars to general public.

Somewhat round in the nosing, but without depth. Easily drinkable in tasting, but not a great pleasure

94 point whisky according to others went down to the sink.

Bottle No. 3439: The color does not matter in principle, but the beautiful amber-Bordeau color in this great bottle makes a difference. Full points are awarded for the presentation and presentation. I got the bottle straight from the still (reserved in spring). My wishes for this first edition: Fruity, grassy and salty notes, which have a connection to the samples already tasted (26 months storage). After the tasting: It is difficult to assign the right points for a very young malt. The Raasay is already well integrated, it is harmonized.

Nose: slightly smoky, strawberry cream, dirty, earthy, rosé, grape juice Mouth: strawberry and raspberry mix as a cream candy, extremely fruity, again a bit dirty background, slightly smoky. Definitely has rough edges, but I like them very much. Conclusion: Wow - three years? Blind I would have been extremely wrong here, definitely tastes older. Really a good first release that is great fun on more!