Isle of Raasay ‘Na Sia’ Unpeated Ex-Bordeaux Cask Single Malt Scotch

While archaeological evidence suggests illicit distillation occurred on Raasay as recently as 1850, Isle of Raasay Distillery’s state-of-the-art production facility balances traditional whisky-making methods with progressive innovation. Rather than following the Scotch tradition of producing a defined style of single malt and patiently waiting for it to mature—most commonly in ex-bourbon barrels—Isle of Raasay Distillery produces six styles of single malt that are then married together in the final flagship blend.

Using both peated and unpeated single malt, Isle of Raasay utilizes ex-Woodford Reserve Rye whiskey, ex-Bordeaux red wine, and new Chinkapin (also spelled Chinquapin) oak casks of varying toast and char levels to individually mature its whiskies. Once fully matured, the six whiskies are carefully blended to craft the distillery’s flagship Hebridean Single Malt. Additionally, as part of their Na Sia [neh shee-ah] series (meaning “the six” in Gaelic), Isle of Rassay Distillery offers limited single cask bottlings of each of their six whiskies that deconstruct the Hebridean blend and demonstrate the influence of each cask type on both peated and unpeated malt.

Since its establishment, the Isle of Raasay Distillery has become embedded in the island’s tight-knit community through close work with local businesses and the creation of new job opportunities.