This standout island whisky is partly crafted in a 'virtual still'

Monday, 29 June 2026 at 07:35

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On Raasay, the Isle of Raasay Distillery has unveiled a striking new whisky. Not only does it come from casks the distillery doesn’t typically use, it’s also distilled 3.4 times. How? With a virtual third still.

For this release, the Scottish distillery tweaked its production process. When running the spirit, they use a six-plate copper purifier that increases contact between the alcohol vapours and the copper.

Alasdair Day, co-founder and master distiller at the Isle of Raasay Distillery, describes this as a kind of virtual third still that makes the spirit lighter and more elegant. The whisky is, as he puts it, “decidedly un-Raasay.”

Not your typical distillery whisky

This bottling stands out not only for how it’s distilled, but also for how it’s matured.

The spirit is made from unpeated Concerto and Laureate barley and underwent a three-day fermentation. It was then filled into casks that previously held Woodford Reserve Rye whiskey. The spirit rested there from 25 June 2019 until May 2026.

How does this unusual Isle of Raasay whisky taste?

The distillery has shared detailed tasting notes for this special whisky. The flavour profile is described as follows:

Nose: Fresh aromas of honeydew melon, ripe pear, and green apple.
Palate: A creamy mouthfeel with notes of caramel, buttery toffee, ripe banana, and stewed apple. The rye cask influence remains subtle, adding extra depth.
Finish: Long and gentle, with sweet oak, lingering butter toffee, and a refined, mild spice.

The whisky is bottled at a robust 59 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).

A highly limited release

Unique in how it’s made, this whisky is also scarce. Only 246 bottles have been released. The price is £95 per bottle, available via the distillery’s website. Be quick though, because this is a single caks whisky that will sell out really quickly and will not be repeated very soon.