Review: Isle of Raasay Hebridean Gin
They asked, and we waited. And now there appears to be a lot of whisky for us to check out from the Isle of Raasay Distillery. But before we get to all that, there’s a clear spirit — a gin, unsurprisingly — that the folks at Raasay have submitted for our consideration. This Scottish island gin is made from a base of Raasay’s double distilled malt spirit, but it is reportedly lighter than the new make used for their single malt line. The gin bill uses Raasay juniper, selected with the help of a local botanist, along with a short list of other botanicals including lemon and orange peel, rhubarb, licorice, and angelica (the more delicate of which have been vapor infused). Thoughts follow.
The aroma is bright and clean with an initial punch of sappy, resinous juniper and sharp citrus notes. Everything evens out pretty quickly, however, into a softer mix of orange oil, candied lemon peel, pine needles, and black licorice with faint traces of pepper and currants. It’s an inviting and enchanting aroma that only continues to bloom in the glass. The palate is dry and mild with notes of fresh cut pine, orange peel, and cut grass. It’s an extremely light-bodied gin, almost effervescent, with a clean, airy finish of lemon peel and powdered sugar. While elegant and approachable, it leaves me wanting just a bit more complexity. Ideal as a sipping gin and worthwhile in a martini, but it can get a bit lost in the wrong tonic or adventurous cocktail.
92 proof.
B+ / $50 / raasaydistillery.com [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Isle of Raasay Hebridean Gin
$50
