The Full Monti is a six-year-old whisky matured in ex-Amontillado sherry hogsheads and bottled at 100 Proof UK.
Isle of Raasay Distillery has announced the launch of The Full Monti, a new unpeated single malt that marks a departure from its lightly peated signature style. This limited release takes one element of the distillery’s six-cask recipe and provides it with an extended second maturation in ex-Amontillado sherry casks.
The Full Monti, limited to 5,000 bottles globally, is set to launch worldwide from October 14th 2026, priced at £80. The creation of The Full Monti follows the distillery’s philosophy of crafting whisky with intent. It begins with the distillery’s unpeated spirit, which is matured for three years in 190-litre ex-Woodford Reserve Rye barrels.
Following this initial period, the spirit is transferred into 250-litre ex-Amontillado hogsheads made from North American oak for a further three years of full maturation. Bottled at 100 Proof UK, which is 57.1% ABV, The Full Monti pays homage to historic British distilling and maritime heritage. This strength was traditionally used to “proof” that spirit was at full strength, a benchmark defined in the UK as 57.1% ABV. The distillery states that bottling at this proof allows the whisky’s full flavour and character to shine.
The name “The Full Monti” reflects its defining characteristics: the use of only unpeated spirit, a full three years of Amontillado maturation, and bottling at 100 Proof for full flavour. This six-year-old whisky offers a deliberate contrast to The Draam, the distillery’s signature lightly peated single malt, demonstrating how a familiar element of the Raasay recipe can achieve a different character through cask selection and extended maturation.
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Tasting notes for The Full Monti reveal a nose of vanilla and salted nuts, with hints of caramel. The palate develops with honey roasted peanuts, vanilla, butterscotch, caramelised sugar, and toffee nut brittle. The finish delivers notes of vanilla, salted caramel, and roasted almonds, resulting in an overall profile of honey roasted almonds with nuances of vanilla, butterscotch, and salted caramel. Alasdair Day, Co-founder and Master Distiller at Isle of Raasay Distillery, explained the inspiration behind the release. He stated, “The origins of The Full Monti go back to a visit I made to Jerez, where I became fascinated by the different styles of sherry and the way they develop through maturation. Amontillado particularly stood out, and I wanted to explore what those casks could bring to our Isle of Raasay spirits.”
He added: “We’ve taken one element of our six-cask recipe and pushed it in a completely different direction, giving the whisky as much time in Amontillado hogsheads as it originally spent in ex-Rye barrels. When we tasted the final vatting, the balance and character really stood out at a higher strength, which is why we chose to bottle it at 100 Proof. From there we landed on the name which represents how we like to make whisky more approachable, inclusive and enjoyable.”
Every drop of Isle of Raasay whisky is distilled, matured, and bottled on the island itself. The distillery states that the island’s landscape, people, and culture shape its whisky. The Isle of Raasay, home to a community of 161 residents at the time the distillery was built in 2017, combines its Hebridean identity and distilling heritage with contemporary whisky making to create distinctive whisky.
