Review #765 - Isle of Raasay Na Sia Single Cask - Peated Chinkapin Cask

Isle of Raasay's Na Sia series is a range of single casks that explore the different combinations of spirit and cask used in the blending of their flagship single malt. They used both unpeated spirit and peated spirit (peated to 48ppm to 52ppm) in their production, and the main casks they use are ex-rye casks, ex-Bordeaux red wine casks, and new Chinkapin oak casks.

Today we have a single cask that uses peated spirit and the new Chinkapin oak. Chinkapin is a species in the white oak category that's native to the Midwest United States; these casks are highly toasted and then highly charred for Raasay's use, and they were traditionally air-dried for 36 month as well.

This Na Sia single cask is bottled at a punchy strength of 61.4% ABV, and like all Isle of Raasay products, it isn't chill filtered, and there's no added color.

Isle of Raasay Na Sia Single Cask - Peated Chinkapin Cask

Scotland/Highland - Single Malt

Price: USD 114 (2026)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 61.4% ABV

Cask Makeup: New Chinkapin oak cask

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask 20/82, distilled 2020

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 13 months; bottles at 50%, 90%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Peppery and prickly, with oak taking center stage. Toasted coconut, candied orange fruit, and effervescent cinnamon come next, followed by malty notes and a nondescript red fruit. It's nicely fizzy and spirity, lightly peaty, and there's just a hint of funk in the background.

Palate: Peppery, spicy, with strong peat smoke and quite a bit of wood notes. Tannic, cinnamon, a bit of coconut again; rich notes of molasses, barbecue sauce, and leather come after that. There's some charcoal as well, and this has a thick mouthfeel.

Finish: Wood smoke and ash, a decent amount of peat, and spice of cinnamon and wood tannins. Brown sugar brings a bit of sweetness back, but we get more wood char and leather from the oak - somewhat drying. It's a medium-long finish, with little savory notes at times.

Final Note: This is a tasty, raw single malt that brings punchy flavors and quite a bit of oak influence. Cinnamon, coconut, and wood smoke are dominant alongside that strong peat smoke flavor, but we also get subtle fruit notes and sweet sugar notes in the background, which add balance. Good whisky, but it's quite punchy and young too; this is one for the oak lovers out there.

Value on this Na Sia series from Isle of Raasay is okay, maybe around average or just below average on our scale. These single cask bottles do bring a ton of flavor and decent complexity for the age, but they can also come across as a bit young and fiery at times. If that's your preferred style, we think this is a good series to seek out.

Our Rating: 7.2 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 5.91

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.