The Maclean Foundation has revealed the latest bottling in its collection of charity whiskies. The new expression, a single malt from the Isle of Raasay Distillery, will raise funds for the foundation's clean water project in Madagascar.
The Maclean Foundation was founded by whisky writer Charles Maclean MBE and his sons, Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan. The Maclean brothers are rowers who have raised money for the project through their record-breaking ocean journeys; they are currently on day 59 of their Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row, a non-stop Pacific ocean journey undertaken to raise £1 million.
The new bottling from the foundation is a five-year-old single cask, single malt whisky, selected from the distillery by Charles Maclean. The unpeated spirit has been matured in a new Chinkapin oak casks at bottled at cask strength of 61.1% ABV. It is the third release under the charity's bottling. The foundation's previous whiskies have included an eight-year-old Glen Scotia and a six-year-old Ardnamurchan.
All profits from the 246 bottles of whisky released will fund clean water boreholes in Madagascar in collaboration with Feedback Madagascar, the foundation's local partner.
Charles Maclean commented: “This partnership is rooted in gratitude — to the industry that’s given me so much, and to a place with poetry and purpose in its bones. The island, the spirit, and the generosity of this cask reflect everything we hope to do — to connect people through whisky and turn drams into lasting positive impact.”
He added: “It’s a sensory time capsule. The smell of sphagnum moss, dry peat hags, and distant sea mingling with mellow, savoury notes of the whisky. The taste is bracingly salty with a long, spicy finish to warm the heart.”
Alasdair Day, co-founder of Isle of Raasay distillers, added: “We’re honoured to collaborate with the Maclean Foundation, whose work is transforming lives by providing something as fundamental as clean water. That mission resonates deeply with us at Raasay, where water is at the core of our whisky-making, it imparts a purity and mineral richness that shapes every drop of our spirit. Matured in a bold, characterful Chinkapin virgin oak cask, this whisky captures the essence of our island and process, and we’re proud that it will help bring lasting impact far beyond our shores.”
The Maclean Foundation's Raasay 2019 5 Years Old is available via Royal Mile Whiskies at RRP £115.
