Raasay 5 Year Old Westie Sponge Edition 2 2018 Single Cask (2023) 70cl

This is Westie Sponge Two. Our celebration of the single malts of the Western Highlands and Islands continues with a 5 year old, 2018 small batch bottling from Isle Of Raasay distillery.

This is a marriage of a refill hogshead and a 1st fill bourbon barrel. Designed to balance richness and sweetness, with the clear voice of the distillate character. This is waxy, coastal, full of bright citrus fruits and a delicate thread of peat. Extremely evocative of what I think Skye and Western Island malt whisky should taste like and a wonderful wee dram in its own right that shows terrifically for the age.

Angus has wanted to bottle a cask of Raasay for a long time. He loves the distillery, the people who own and run it and he really loves the spirit they produce. It took a while to find the right combination of casks, he wanted a blend that showcased the spirit front and centre and with this small batch marriage of two casks from 2018 we believe we have achieved that beautifully. A refill hogshead combined with a 1st fill barrel provides the right balance of maturity and sweetness as well as the oiliness, waxiness, peppery notes and subtle peat of the spirit.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: fresh, coastal, and clean, with a lot of mineral character, subtle waxiness, crisp background peat smoke and a sense of peppery warmth and saltiness.

Palate: full on and textural, shows the youthful power with a lot of big salty notes, sweet oiliness, and that background peat again, but this is still excellently mature for 5 years old. More lemony notes, more costal impressions, and more waxes!

Finish: long, fatty, fresh, and full of thick oiliness, peppery warmth, hessian and light tarry notes.