The ImpEx Collection Isle of Raasay 4 y.o.
October 14, 2026
It’s always fun checking out what independent bottlers are doing and with this review I’m exploring a recent single malt release from The ImpEx Collection, a San Francisco Bay Area-based independent bottler. And they’ve released a four year-old from the Isle of Raasay Distillery, located on the Inner Hebridean Isle of Raasay in the Highland whisky region of Scotland.
The reason I love exploring independent bottlings is because of the freedom independent bottlers have to take a known product and tweak it in a new, previously unexplored way.
For those who have not had Isle of Rassay whiskies before, it’s a Hebridean distillery known for having long fermentations and a lightly peated flavor profile and they’ve been in production since 2017.
This award-winning, 4 year old whisky was bottled at 60.3 percent ABV and matured in an ex-Manzanilla cask. And for those unfamiliar with Manzanilla, it is a dry, fortified sherry from Spain that has an almost briny characteristic. An interesting little side note here, the label states it’s from an ex-Manzanilla cask but the website says it’s a peated Manzanilla cask…which I’d love more info on.
Now, I know for a fact that Isle of Rassay releases are all non-chill filtered and have no added color but there’s no mention of those characteristics on the ImpEx bottleor the ImpEx website as it relates to their release. I know that Sam Filmus, the President of Impex Beverages, is meticulous about quality and that this ImpEx Collection is a passion project of his and so I will assume - and I’m confident in saying - that there is no chill-filtering or added color… but here at The Whisky Zone we like proof. So, on the off chance that I’m wrong here I won’t be awarding it the Whisky Zone thumbs up.
Visuals:
Looking at the color of the whisky in the glass, it has a nice, appealing deeper gold shade to it, with definite sherry overtones.
The legs inside the glass are gloopy with a nice moderate speed.
Nose:
With liquid in the glass for a few minutes I get some very pleasing nose whiffs in the air.
Initially I get the smell of smoked cherries. Also some caramel hard candies. Next up is the earthy sensation of being in a cow barn. In a good way, of course. There’s the scent of wood varnish. And soap. Next up is a pleasing smell like the rubber sole of a brand new sneaker right out of the box. I then get the distinct aroma of a little campfire. And also a wee whiff of bananas.
Palate:
Such a pleasant way to start a tasting, with a nice sweet smoke! I also get cola. (No overly-large, corporate brand names here.) There’s a dash of cinnamon. And also some root beer. Nice surprise with the taste of peanut butter. There’s some mulled cider with extra cloves. I taste charred prunes. And a caramel sauce on top of ice cream.
The ABV is punchy enough so that adding a few drops of water could bring it back just a little. Let’s see.
Nose + H2O:
With a few drops of water I get the smell of more prominent caramel. There’s a whiff of salt air. And also a nice softer smoke.
Palate + H2O:
The added water produces the taste of sugar-coated black licorice, followed by a cinnamon stick. And the accentuation of the smoky side, more like ash smoke.
Cork Pop:
It’s been my personal experience that natural cork stoppers give the best POP sound coming out of the bottle. This one uses one of the synthetic types that I’m sure probably have better longevity and are less damaging to the planet so, to be clear, this rating has nothing to do with their effectiveness as a cork, but simply their “popability.” I’m giving it the totally subjective Whisky Zone Prodigious Popping Power score of 5 out of 10.
Finish:
The finish is nice and long. I’m left with earthy prunes, a burnt wooden match, black tea with a heaping spoonful of sugar, and a smoky root beer float.
Rating:
During this review, I may have been nitpicking at a few, small details but one thing is unmistakable to me: the quality of this whisky. It’s got a very impressive “sweet and smoke” balance, and tells me that there was a really good cask selection going on here. Now the label says there were 293 bottles released. But since I bought two of them I can only guarantee that there are 291 still available for you to buy. Which I think you should do. I’m giving the ImpEx Collection, Isle of Raasay four-year-old release a nine finger pour.
Age Statement: 4 years
ABV: 60.3 %
Chill-filtered: No
E150a caramel coloring added: No
Average Price (750ml): $120 (US)
