Isle of Raasay Distillery has been crowned World’s Best Scotch Whisky at the 2025 Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards (LVGSA) for its Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The prestigious award also earned the distillery a Platinum Medal and an exceptional 99 out of 100 score – one of the highest in the competition’s history.
Founded in 2017 as the first legal distillery on the Hebridean Isle of Raasay, the distillery has built a loyal following among whisky enthusiasts and is celebrated for its lightly peated house style. The annual limited-edition Cask Strength release follows the same six-cask recipe as its flagship whisky, The Draam, but is bottled at natural cask strength.
The distillery’s signature six-cask recipe, known as Na Sia (meaning ‘The Six’ in Gaelic), matures both peated and unpeated spirits separately in three distinct cask types – Rye Whiskey, virgin Chinkapin oak, and Bordeaux red wine – before marrying them together. The result is a lightly peated whisky with an elegant yet powerful profile, balancing dark fruit richness with spice, smoke, and sweetness.
“The Scotch whiskies honoured at the 2025 Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards represent the pinnacle of tradition, mastery and craftsmanship,” said Eddie Rivkin, CEO and founder of the LVGSA. “Each winner tells a story of place, patience and passion – capturing the soul of Scotland in every sip. These exceptional expressions remind us why Scotch remains one of the most revered spirits in the world.”
The award-winning Cask Strength expression captures the distillery’s distinct character. On the nose are aromas of candied fruit, wood smoke, apricots and glacé cherries, unfolding into rich layers of sweet spice, cinnamon, black pepper, heather, honey and black cherry. The finish is long, dry and complex, weaving together gentle wood smoke, dried fruit and a hint of coastal salinity.
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“This whisky represents the Isle of Raasay at its purest – vatted straight from the cask to reveal the full complexity and depth of our six-cask maturation process,” said co-founder and Master Distiller Alasdair Day. “We’re delighted to see our Cask Strength recognised on the world stage. It’s essentially The Draam turned up to eleven – a higher ABV version that shows how alcohol can amplify flavour. To be awarded among such global competition is a huge honour for our island distillery and the dedicated team behind it.”
Like all Isle of Raasay whiskies, the Cask Strength edition is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured, with every drop distilled, matured, bottled and shipped from the island by its small but passionate team. The 2025 release is available directly from the distillery website and independent retailers, priced at £65 for 70cl.
