The Raasay distillery began distilling in September 2017, so we still have to wait a little longer for their first whisky. But in the meantime, we can enjoy a single malt that they have crafted of whisky purchased elsewhere and that has the appropriate name Raasay While We Wait. The purpose of these annual releases is to showcase their blending skills and the style of whisky that they will soon release themselves.
To create this single malt, they have combined two expressions from a single distillery. One of which was heavily peated and the other un-peated. After that, the whisky was finished in Tuscan red wine casks from three vineyards that produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Bottled at 46% ABV. And that is blended in the style of whisky that they will soon release themselves.
Raasay While We Wait tasting notes:
Nose: Slightly peaty. Red fruit, such as red grapes and red berries. A whiff of cheese. Then it gets fresher. Oranges. Followed by butterscotch. But is somewhat restrained. A hint of vanilla. And white grape peels.
Taste: Quite sweet here, sweeter than expected from the nose. Sweet honey, some sugary sweetness too, which reminds me of sugar water. Red grapes again, but also strawberries and red berries. Red cherries even. Somewhat smoky but really in the background. A bitter edge in the end, but not too bad. Grapefruit? Somewhat drying.
Finish: The finish is mid-long which is also a bit bitter. And some spices here, mostly cinnamon.
Although wine cask finishes aren’t my favourite, I think it works well here. It is somewhat on the sweet side for me, but if you are a sweet tooth this is definitely something for you. A well-blended single malt and also available for a good price (starting from £ 38,00 in the well-known online shops).
Thanks to R&B Distillers for the bottle!
