The Isle of Raasay Distillery has introduced a new single malt matured exclusively in uncommon American oak. Chinkapin, or Quercus muehlenbergii, is a North American species traditionally used only as a finishing cask. At Raasay, it has been part of the distillery’s maturation programme from the beginning.
The Chinkapin takes its position as the third permanent expression in the distillery’s core whisky range, and is believed to be the first single malt fully matured in both fresh and refill Chinkapin oak casks.
Located on a small island between Skye and the Scottish mainland, the Isle of Raasay Distillery combines traditional Scotch whisky methods with a carefully considered wood policy, an approach led by co-founder and master distiller Alasdair Day. Day describes the oak as the distillery’s superpower.
“Chinkapin oak has been part of our story since day one,” says Day. “It’s the glue that holds our flagship malt, The Draam, together. By giving The Chinkapin its own place in our core range, we’re offering an alternative that is rich, deep, yet instantly recognisable as a Raasay dram.”
Bottled at 50.2% ABV, The Chinkapin is believed to be the first single malt Scotch fully matured in both fresh and refill Chinkapin oak casks.
For this expression, the spirit, made using 100% Scottish barley, combines peated and unpeated whisky matured separately in custom-built 190-litre Chinkapin barrels. These casks are specified with a high toast and heavy char, increasing interaction between spirit and oak during maturation.
According to the distillery, the process helps deliver a darker colour and a flavour profile with an unusual range of savoury and sweet notes.
Bottled at 50.2% ABV, The Chinkapin is believed to be the first single malt Scotch fully matured in both fresh and refill Chinkapin oak casks…
Isle of Raasay The Chinkapin tasting notes
Bottled at 50.2% ABV, the Chinkapin continues the lightly peated style associated with the Raasay house character, while emphasising the distinctive influence of the oak. Tasting notes supplied by the distillery describe a nose of wood smoke and rich dark fruits, with Barbecue glaze, honey, bright lime, cinnamon and smoked ham coming through on the palate. The finish features Sandalwood and lingering fragrant smoke
Like all whiskies produced by the distillery, every stage of The Chinkapin’s production takes place on the island itself, from distillation through maturation to bottling.
Presented in a gold and black bottle design, The Chinkapin single malt Scotch whisky sells for £61.95 from The Whisky Exchange.
Premium indie bottler Whisky 1901 has expanded its portfolio with The Ledger Series, an intriguing new collection of single-cask Scotch whiskies that showcase the character, provenance and individuality of some of Scotland’s best-known distilleries. Founded as a cask investment business, Whisky 1901 is widening its orbit with a range of carefully selected age-statement releases, each…
Ad Gefrin, the Anglo-Saxon museum and distillery in Wooler, has released what it describes as the first legal Northumbrian single malt whisky of the modern era, ending a two-century absence of local single malt production. The debut bottling arrives as the Crǣft Series, a collection of three single cask whiskies that offer an early glimpse…
If you’re wondering what to give the dad on Father’s Day who claims he wants nothing, allow us to suggest something sincere, sophisticated, and soul-warming: whisky. Not socks, not a novelty mug, not a gadget that’ll sit untouched on a shelf, but a bottle of golden liquid crafted purely to delight the senses. In this…
The Luxe Review 
The Isle of Raasay Distillery has introduced a new single malt matured exclusively in uncommon American oak. Chinkapin, or Quercus muehlenbergii, is a North American species traditionally used only as a finishing cask. At Raasay, it has been part of the distillery’s maturation programme from the beginning.
The Chinkapin takes its position as the third permanent expression in the distillery’s core whisky range, and is believed to be the first single malt fully matured in both fresh and refill Chinkapin oak casks.
Located on a small island between Skye and the Scottish mainland, the Isle of Raasay Distillery combines traditional Scotch whisky methods with a carefully considered wood policy, an approach led by co-founder and master distiller Alasdair Day. Day describes the oak as the distillery’s superpower.
“Chinkapin oak has been part of our story since day one,” says Day. “It’s the glue that holds our flagship malt, The Draam, together. By giving The Chinkapin its own place in our core range, we’re offering an alternative that is rich, deep, yet instantly recognisable as a Raasay dram.”
Bottled at 50.2% ABV, The Chinkapin is believed to be the first single malt Scotch fully matured in both fresh and refill Chinkapin oak casks.
For this expression, the spirit, made using 100% Scottish barley, combines peated and unpeated whisky matured separately in custom-built 190-litre Chinkapin barrels. These casks are specified with a high toast and heavy char, increasing interaction between spirit and oak during maturation.
According to the distillery, the process helps deliver a darker colour and a flavour profile with an unusual range of savoury and sweet notes.
Isle of Raasay The Chinkapin tasting notes
Bottled at 50.2% ABV, the Chinkapin continues the lightly peated style associated with the Raasay house character, while emphasising the distinctive influence of the oak. Tasting notes supplied by the distillery describe a nose of wood smoke and rich dark fruits, with Barbecue glaze, honey, bright lime, cinnamon and smoked ham coming through on the palate. The finish features Sandalwood and lingering fragrant smoke
Like all whiskies produced by the distillery, every stage of The Chinkapin’s production takes place on the island itself, from distillation through maturation to bottling.
Presented in a gold and black bottle design, The Chinkapin single malt Scotch whisky sells for £61.95 from The Whisky Exchange.
First pour: Whisky 1901 Ledger Series is a hand-picked single cask tour of key Scottish distilleries
Premium indie bottler Whisky 1901 has expanded its portfolio with The Ledger Series, an intriguing new collection of single-cask Scotch whiskies that showcase the character, provenance and individuality of some of Scotland’s best-known distilleries. Founded as a cask investment business, Whisky 1901 is widening its orbit with a range of carefully selected age-statement releases, each…
Ad Gefrin announces first Northumbrian single malt in 200 years, but there’s mystery in the launch
Ad Gefrin, the Anglo-Saxon museum and distillery in Wooler, has released what it describes as the first legal Northumbrian single malt whisky of the modern era, ending a two-century absence of local single malt production. The debut bottling arrives as the Crǣft Series, a collection of three single cask whiskies that offer an early glimpse…
The Best Father’s Day Whisky Guide 2026: 19 wonderful whiskies from budget to premium
If you’re wondering what to give the dad on Father’s Day who claims he wants nothing, allow us to suggest something sincere, sophisticated, and soul-warming: whisky. Not socks, not a novelty mug, not a gadget that’ll sit untouched on a shelf, but a bottle of golden liquid crafted purely to delight the senses. In this…
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