Isle of Raasay Single Malt Marsala Cask Limited Release, 50.7%

The Raasay Single Malt Marsala Cask Limited Release is a lightly peated expression fully matured in ex-Frazzitta Marsala Vergine barriques and bottled at 50.7% ABV as a natural-colour, non-chill filtered release. This first use of Frazzitta Marsala barriques yields a distinctive marriage of Sicilian fortified-wine sweetness and Raasay’s maritime peat, producing baked apple, apricot and smoked-toffee signatures.

Production:

What sets this limited release apart is the rarity and provenance of the casks: Frazzitta Marsala Vergine barriques bring concentrated dried-fruit and layered oxidative character that, when paired with Raasay’s lightly peated spirit, produces an unusually textured, collectible whisky. Drawn from spirit mashes using Diablo and Concerto barley, fermented under 3- and 5-day regimes and distilled in 2021, the vatted release was filled to cask at 63.5% ABV, married in June 2025 and bottled the following month.

Pairing Suggestions:

This Marsala-finished single malt pairs beautifully with baked apple desserts, apricot-based pastries or sticky toffee pudding to echo its stewed fruit and maple notes; for savoury balance, aged sheep’s cheese or glazed pork belly will contrast the whisky’s smoked toffee sweetness, while a vegetarian option of roasted pears with ginger and honey will also harmonise.

Tasting Note:

The nose opens with grape must, parma violets and a sweet, slightly sharp tang; the palate offers stewed apples, apricot, ginger and maple syrup framed by smoked toffee and a balsamic lift, finishing long with lingering smoke and a persistent, warming aftertaste.

Origin:

Isle of Raasay, Scotland

Alcohol:

50.7% ABV