Isle of Raasay Distillery

Raasay Hungarian Oak Limited Release

ABV: 50% 70 c

The third installment from Isle of Raasay Distillery’s Oak Species Maturation Series, which places the spotlight firmly on the botanical species of oak. This year’s expression highlights the distinctive character of Hungarian Quercus petraea, sourced from the Zemplén Mountains. Selected not as virgin oak like previous releases, but in the form of seasoned ex-Oloroso sherry barriques. Peated and unpeated spirit, made with 100% Scottish barley, are matured separatley in this distinctive cask type. Hungarian oak is renowned for its slow growth and exceptionally tight grain, allowing for a more controlled interaction between spirit and wood. This results in a whisky of remarkable depth and balance, where spice, sweetness and smoke are intricately layered. 

Raasay Distillery, opened in 2017 on the Isle of Raasay off Scotland’s west coast, is a small, modern craft distillery known for producing lightly peated single malt shaped by the island’s rugged maritime climate. Its whisky is made from local mineral-rich water, long fermentation, and a mix of peated and unpeated spirit matured in a distinctive combination of casks such as rye, Chinkapin oak, and Bordeaux red wine, giving it layers of smoke, spice, and dark fruit. The distillery sits in a restored Victorian house with sweeping views across to Skye, and its visitor experience blends contemporary design with island heritage, making it one of Scotland’s most scenic and characterful new-wave whisky destinations.