InchDairnie Distillery KinGlassie RAW 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Avid Scotch-watchers may notice the packaging here looks very similar to RyeLaw (a single grain whisky made with Scottish-grown rye, launched in 2023). That's because they're from the same distillery. This marks one of two inaugural single malt releases, the other being a Double Matured 8 Year Old. KinGlassie Raw is expected to be an annual limited edition with a peated barley spec of 50ppm (the same as most Kilchoman, for example, and higher than most Islays). The final whisky is bottled unchill-filtered at 46.3% Alc./Vol. The distillery says this release has a "smouldering fireplace" quality, with sweet and malty flavours. 

Other reviews... Nose: Raw indeed, but not brash. The malt forward nature of the distillery’s new make is evident (husks and mash), accompanied by a pleasant sweetness (almost honey-esque), hints of silage, hessian and subtle lemon drizzle cake as well as granny smith. The smoky notes are more campfire-esque than coastal, let alone medicinal. Definitely some vanilla foam blocks as well. Taste: Mouthfeel, I don’t know. Slightly underwhelming initially, but water unlocks a pleasant creaminess. This is malty with a hint of sponge cake, then also moderately ashy, somewhat brackish and with a touch of red apple. Also smoked citrus fruits, and there’s a pinch of pepper in the background. Finish: Medium length. A tad dry while sweet malty notes linger, as well hints as smoked husks. This whisky speaks to the confidence InchDairnie has in its spirit. Almost as if they went looking for the least inactive casks in their warehouses. A good nosing whisky that could do with some more complexity on the palate, but certainly a quality malt overall. - wordsofwhisky.com