The first legal single malt whisky from the Hebridean island of Raasay has been unveiled.
Isle of Raasay Distillery said it had captured the natural beauty of the island in a decanter-like bottle.
The distiller’s Inaugural Release 2020 sold out via pre-orders in September, with the much-anticipated 7,500 bottles snapped up by consumers and selected trade partners.
Distillery co-founder Alasdair Day said: “This is a really historic moment as the first legal Isle of Raasay Single Malt leaves the island for the first time.
“We are very proud of our lightly peated island single malt, and our beautiful bottle that is made with clay moulds of Raasay’s rocks and fossils. It’s like a piece of the island in your hands.”
The new whisky was distilled, matured and bottled on Raasay. Made with 100% Scottish barley, distillers’ yeast and water from the distillery’s own well, it was stored in “first fill” American oak barrels and finished maturation in 21 Bordeaux red wine casks.
It will soon be available via trade partners in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, the Philippines, South Africa, Canada, South Korea, Japan, and China.
The independently-owned distillery opened on Raasay, just off Skye, in September 2017. Spirit production started that year, with the site also home to a six-bedroom hotel and award-winning visitor centre.