The team behind the Isle of Raasay distillery recently announced the launch of their first ever Marsala Cask Single Malt whisky, matured exclusively in rare Marsala Vergine casks sourced from the historic Frazzitta winery in Sicily.
Bottled at 50.7% ABV and limited to just 12,300 bottles worldwide, this limited release also introduces a new look packaging, adding distinctiveness and clear identity to the distillery’s growing portfolio.
What sets this release apart is not just the cask type, but the provenance and pedigree of the wood itself.
The casks used are Marsala Vergine DOC barrels from Frazzitta, one of Sicily’s oldest Marsala producers, known for aging their wines for decades in traditional oxidative environments.
Marsala Vergine wines are known for their nutty, dry, and deeply oxidative profile, much like a dry sherry.
Master distiller Alasdair Day explained why the casks work so well with Raasay: “Marsala Vergine casks, particularly from a historic producer like Frazzitta, are rare in the whisky industry, and the cask characteristics have brought an exceptional depth of flavour to our Raasay spirit.
"The casks we’ve used to mature our whisky have been seasoned with the bone dry Marsala wine for up to 30 years. This adds beautiful layers of dried fruit, toasted nuts, and an oxidative depth.
"The result is a whisky that is rich and complex, with baked apples and maple syrup on the palate, balanced with dried pear, apricots, and a balsamic sweetness that all lingers into a long smoky finish with echoes of roasted coffee. It’s one of the most distinctive cask maturations we’ve ever released, elegant and assertive all at once.”
The Marsala Cask Limited Release also features a new addition to the distillery’s packaging portfolio. The colour scheme is inspired by the island’s geology where the cool slate grey tones are reflective of the rugged volcanic landscape of Raasay, as well as the indentations of fossils which can be found on the bottle itself.
"This new look is about giving our range a clearer identity,” said William Dobbie, managing director of the distillery.
"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.”
As with all releases from Raasay, the whisky was distilled and matured entirely on the island. The distillery’s spirit and distinctive lightly peated character is achieved by the combination of using peated and unpeated barley in the distillation process and maturing separately before being married together.
The Marsala Cask Limited Release offers whisky lovers an experience of Sicilian and Scottish heritage in a single dram. It will be available at independent retailers across the UK and to buy on their website with shipments heading to key global markets including the UK, Germany, France and the US.
