There's something a bit special about this new single malt, which has scooped several awards since its launch at the end of 2015. First is its story: the blend is a taster of the flavours to come from R&B's new distillery, currently being built on the Isle of Raasay – the island's first after a long history of bootlegging.
Second is the whisky itself. Pale pink in colour, it looks more like a very light rosé – which might have something to do with the fact that it's aged in Tuscan red wine casks made of French oak. It's smoky and peaty on the nose, giving way to oodles of caramel and vanilla on the palate, followed by the syrupy flavours of tinned peaches and a hint of warming, gingery spice. At this stage, it's not terribly smooth – but if this is anything to go by, R&B Distillers' final malts will be well worth the, er, wait.
£56.95 for 70cl; rbdistillers.com
