Maclean Foundation unveils third charity whisky
The Isle of Raasay Distillery is the maker of the latest charity single malt whisky from The Maclean Foundation, which aims to provide clean water for life to people in Madagascar.
The new limited edition five-year-old single cask Scotch was created by the Hebridean-based distillery. It was matured in virgin chinkapin oak and bottled at a cask strength of 61.1% ABV. It is the third in a series of single malt releases by The Maclean Foundation, which was founded by whisky writer Charles Maclean MBE and his three sons – ocean rowers Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean – after the trio's world record-breaking 2019/20 Atlantic crossing. The brothers are currently on a 9,000-mile row across the Pacific Ocean to raise £1 million (US$1.35m) for clean water projects. Only 246 bottles of the charitable whisky, which was hand-chosen by Charles Maclean at the Isle of Raasay Distillery, are available exclusively from Scotch retailer Royal Mile Whiskies. Each is priced at £115 (US$156). As with the first and second Maclean Foundation whiskies, which were sourced from Ardnamurchan and Glen Scotia distilleries respectively, all profits will fund clean water boreholes in rural Madagascar through the charity’s local partner, Feedback Madagascar. Each borehole costs approximately £6,000 (US$8,000) and can supply clean water to 200 people for up to 100 years. So far, they’ve funded more than 20 boreholes, helping thousands of people. Charles said: “This partnership [with Isle of Raasay] 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.” 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 whisky was made using unpeated spirit and water sourced from the island’s ‘Well of the Pale Cow’, which runs through some of the oldest geological formations in the world, including Archean gneiss and Jurassic sandstone. Charles 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.” The label was created by creative agency Contagious, and features Maclean’s own words and memories, written in a style that is said to blend flavour notes with storytelling.
