Whisky: Raasay Na Sia Single Cask 18/627

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 62.4%

Cask: First Fill Rye Whisky

Age: NAS (Distilled 2018, Bottled 2022)

Nose: Smoke, earth, and roasted nuts; peat smoke and smoldering vegetation; mangroves and tidal estuary swamps; a kiss of salted peanut butter and roasted nuts; a hike through wetlands with a snack? Herbal at times with hints of old tires, dirty feet, and abandoned horse barns.

Palate: Medium-bodied, sharp saline and herbal spice— rosemary syrup and charred lemon peel perhaps; olive oil and salt with roasted nuts, seeds, and malty bread; burning vegetation and musty mangroves lingered further in the background; more trail mix than wetland; with water a touch of green mango and shoyu.

Finish: Medium to long with subtle citrus, saline, earth, and roasted nuts.

Score: 5-6 (76)

Mental Image: Raccoon’s Wetland Trail Mix Stash

Narrative & Notes: My good buddy DustBunna (see his review here) described this whisky as “precocious,” and I think he had the measure of it with that description. The whisky felt a bit wild and untamed. It was clearly quite young, but it had a lot going on. I cannot wait to see how the distillery’s malt will change and progress with age as some of these notes soften and merge with time.

The aroma was loaded with a good deal of smoke, and, for the first time, I thought, this is what burning peat smells like.  Of course, it is not, but it was in the same vein with a definite earthy and vegetal quality— none of that bonfire or barbecue. The notions of a mangrove swamp or wetland sat a bit further in the background of the palate, which featured a bright and occasionally biting herbal spice and salinity. Olive oil and a roasted nuttiness provided a through line to connect to the two, and a bit of water surfaced more tropical and green fruits in the aroma and palate— a bit of shoyu green mango!

Overall, a delightfully interesting whisky— probably more interesting than good and undoubtedly a fun one to share with others. I cannot see myself reaching to pour something like this for myself very often, but I would love to pour this for friends as a conversation starter.

Image Credit: Raasay Distillery