Why This Scotch Distillery Is Swapping Sherry For A Rare Sicilian Wine Cask
The Isle Of Raasay scotch whisky distillery has released its first Marsala cask whisky. The limited release from the first legal spirit procedure on the Heridian island of Raasay also showcases the striking new packaging for their special releases.
The Isle of Raasay Marsala Cask limited release launches today for $100 (£75). The lightly peated single malt scotch whisky takes their fruity new make, from their preferred long fermentation, and matures it in Marsala casks to create a whisky that combines the coastal notes of Sicily and Raasay.
But what is Marsala? Marsala is a Sicilian fortified wine that is distinct from, but shares similarities with Sherry and Port. Despite this, Marsala casks have remained relatively rare within the scotch whisky industry, but that is what appealed to Isle of Raasay's Master Distiller Alasdair Day.
'Following the success of our Dun Cana releases and the awards it has received we wanted to build on this popular flavour style but with a direction other than ex sherry casks' Alasdair Day
'We were able to source these high quality Marsala Vergine casks, a fortified Sicilian wine aged using a solera system similar to sherry, but with a very different flavour style, which works extremely well with our new make spirit.'
The new, limited release comes ahead of the anticipated 2025 Dun Cana, which is finished in sherry quarter casks. The 2024 Dun Cana won a gold award at the 2024 London Spirits Competition. Ahead of this year's edition Day encourages fans to explore the effects the different fortified wines have on the Raasay spirit.
'It is the perfect time to release and showcase this fully matured whisky from the Isle of Raasay prior to the next annual release of our Dun Cana 2025 so that everyone can taste the similarities and differences of these two releases.' A New Look For The Limited Range
As well as a fresh cask type for the distillery, this release also introduces the striking new packaging for Raasay's limited releases. The updated bottle looks simultaneously like it has been cast from a stone and may melt into liquid at the same time. Incorporating the feeling of stone, fossils and liquid, it is at once delicately beautiful and stoically rugged. It is great to see how newer distilleries continue to push the boundaries with their presentation while keeping the pricing accessible.
'This new look is about giving our range a clearer identity,' says William Dobbie, Managing Director of the distillery in the official press release. 'We've rapidly grown in the last few years and have released many truly exceptional whiskies, this new packaging will help differentiate our limited releases from our core range whilst still telling the story of where we come from and what makes our whisky so unique.'
At 12,300 bottles, the Marsala Cask single malt is limited without becoming a barrier to accessibility. The price is accessible too, at $100 (£75) for a 70cl bottle at 50.7%. The whisky itself is a lightly peated single malt and Day describes the whisky as 'rich and complex' with 'baked apples and maple syrup… balanced with dried pear, apricots, and a balsamic sweetness that all lingers into a long smoky finish.'
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