Finlaggan Red Wine Finish Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%

Red wine casks are rare in Scotch whisky, and there is a reason for that. The tannins can turn a whisky bitter and dry if you are not careful. Here they are used to pull the smoke towards fruit instead.

The expert description

Finlaggan Red Wine Finish is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in red wine casks, bottled at 46%.

The malt comes from an undisclosed Islay distillery, and The Vintage Malt Whisky Company moved it into red wine wood at the end. Where a port cask gives sweet, concentrated fruit, the red wine cask gives something drier and more grapey, plum, berry and a light tannin edge that keeps the sweetness in place.

The result is the most fruit-driven of the Finlaggan finishes, but also the one where the smoke is allowed to stay in front. It is bottled at 46% without chill filtration and without added colour.

Tasting notes

Nose

Lovely peat smoke with sweet red berries, dried fruit, oak and vanilla behind it.

Palate

Salted and smoky with notes of sweet fruit, plum jam, red grapes, orange marmalade and berries.

Finish

Sweet malt notes and grape skin, while the bonfire smoke lingers long afterwards.

Specifications

Name: Finlaggan Red Wine Finish
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask finished in red wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Red Wine Finish
EAN no.: 5024720322001

Flavour profile

Smoky · Fruity · Berry · Sweet · Maritime

Did you know?

Red wine casks are used far less often than sherry and bourbon wood in Scotch whisky. Wine casks are built thinner and have not held strong spirit before, which makes them less predictable, and the tannins can leave the whisky dry and tight if the cask is allowed to work too long.

See our full range of Finlaggan

Listen to our podcast:

Frequently asked questions about Finlaggan Red Wine Finish

What does Red Wine Finish taste like?

Peat smoke and sweet red berries on the nose, salted and smoky on the palate with plum jam, red grapes and orange marmalade, and a finish of sweet malt notes, grape skin and lingering bonfire smoke.

What is the difference between a red wine and a port finish?

Port is sweeter and more concentrated, while red wine gives drier fruit and a light tannin edge. The red wine version therefore lets the smoke show more clearly, where the port version wraps it up more.

Why are red wine casks used so rarely?

Because they are hard to control. Wine casks are thinner than sherry casks and have never held strong spirit, so the influence is less predictable, and the tannins can turn the whisky bitter if the finish runs long.

Which distillery does the whisky come from?

That is not disclosed. The casks are bought from an Islay distillery that does not want its name on the label, and that applies across the whole Finlaggan range.

Is it sweet?

There is clear fruit sweetness from the wine wood, but it is balanced by salt, smoke and a dry tannin edge. It is sweeter than Original, but a long way from a dessert whisky.

How is it best served?

Neat and ideally with a couple of minutes of air, so the fruit has time to rise through the smoke. Use a glass that gathers the aroma. See our whisky glasses.

Who is it for?

Anyone who already knows peated whisky and wants something other than the usual bourbon or sherry profile. If you are new to the style, start somewhere calmer in our Islay Whisky.