Isle of Raasay’s Cask Strength Whisky Crowned the World’s Best in Las Vegas

Scotch whisky just found a new standard bearer. Isle of Raasay Distillery, the first legal distillery on the Hebridean Isle of Raasay, has claimed the title of The World’s Best Scotch Whisky at the 2025 Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards for its Cask Strength Single Malt. The whisky didn’t just win, it dominated, earning a Platinum Medal and a staggering 99 out of 100, one of the highest scores in the competition’s history.

Since its founding in 2017, Isle of Raasay has cultivated a devoted following, particularly for its lightly peated house style. This annual limited edition, Na Sia, meaning ‘The Six’ in Gaelic, elevates the distillery’s flagship whisky, The Draam, to natural cask strength. Its signature six-cask recipe matures peated and unpeated spirits separately in Rye, virgin Chinkapin oak, and Bordeaux red wine casks before marrying them together. The result is a whisky that balances elegance and power, rich dark fruit notes weaving seamlessly with spice, smoke, and subtle sweetness.

On the nose, the Cask Strength releases aromas of candied fruit, wood smoke, apricots, and glacé cherries. The palate unfolds in layers of sweet spice, cinnamon, black pepper, heather, honey, and black cherry. The finish is long, dry, and complex, leaving a whisper of smoke, dried fruit, and just a hint of salinity.

“This whisky represents the Isle of Raasay at its purest,” says co-founder and Master Distiller, Alasdair Day. “Vatted straight from the cask, it captures the full complexity of our six-cask maturation process. The Cask Strength is The Draam dialled up to eleven, giving both enthusiasts and newcomers a chance to explore the impact of alcohol on flavour.”

Every drop of Isle of Raasay whisky is distilled, matured, bottled, and shipped from the island itself, non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. The 2025 Cask Strength release is available for £65 per 70cl bottle via the distillery’s website and select independent retailers.