Isle of Raasay Distillery Debuts its first ever Marsala Cask

Here’s something that’ll get your attention – Isle of Raasay has just dropped their first Marsala cask expression, and it’s not your typical wine cask finish. We’re talking Marsala Vergine DOC barrels from Frazzitta, one of Sicily’s most venerable producers who’ve been at this game longer than most distilleries have existed.

What makes this particularly interesting is the provenance of these casks. Frazzitta has been seasoning them with bone-dry Marsala wine for up to three decades – that’s some serious wood conditioning. Marsala Vergine, for those who haven’t explored it, shares DNA with dry sherries but brings its own oxidative character to the table.

Alasdair Day’s tasting notes paint a picture of serious complexity: baked apples and maple syrup leading into dried pear and apricots, with that telltale balsamic sweetness you’d expect from well-seasoned wine casks. The finish apparently carries through with smoky notes and roasted coffee – sounds like those oxidative characteristics have really done their work on the Raasay spirit.

They’ve bottled this at 50.7% ABV with a global allocation of just 12,300 bottles, which feels about right for a limited release of this calibre. The distillery’s also rolled out new packaging that draws inspiration from Raasay’s volcanic geology – slate-grey tones and fossil-like bottle indentations that actually sound quite striking.

As expected from Raasay, everything’s been distilled and matured on-island, using their signature approach of marrying separately matured peated and unpeated components. It’s launching August 7th through independents and their website, with distribution hitting the usual suspects globally – UK, US, Germany, Japan, Australia, and beyond.

This feels like a smart move from Raasay – Marsala casks are genuinely rare in our industry, and sourcing from a producer with Frazzitta’s heritage adds real credibility to the story.