Raasay Distillery Presell 2020 Bottlings

Isle of Raasay distillery has launched pre-orders for its still-maturing inaugural single malt, which is set to be delivered to buyers in 22 months time – shortly before Christmas 2020.

The distillery has earmarked 40 ex-Bourbon barrels full of maturing liquid ‘ready to go’ to meet demand for the pre-orders.

Once bottled, the three-year-old whisky, first laid down in 2017, will be the first legal single malt whisky to be produced in the island’s history.

Co-founder of Isle of Raasay distillery Alasdair Day said: ‘It feels like it’s been a long time in the making and we’re really looking forward to shipping those first bottles in 2020.’

The whisky will have been matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and finished in ex-Bordeaux red wine casks, before being bottled at 46% abv.

Day said: ‘The notes we’re expecting from the single malt will be smoky and fruity; our new make spirit is quite fruity anyway due to the fermentation time, which can last up to 115 hours, but we’re expecting more red fruit to come in from the wine casks.’

The whisky is priced at £99 per 70cl bottle and will be available to ship to the UK and EU, while international orders can be arranged by contacting the distillery directly.

The pre-order launch comes shortly after the distillery released smaller 30-litre casks of its maturing single malt in an effort to make its first expression ‘more accessible’ for enthusiasts.

Isle of Raasay has also produced Raasay While We Wait, a single malt from an unnamed distillery also bottled at 46% abv, that is said to offer ‘a tantalising taste of what’s to come’ from Raasay’s own single malt.