Review | Isle of Raasay Marsala Cask Edition

The Hebridean craft distillery Isle of Raasay has released its latest limited edition small batch single malt. The Isle of Raasay Marsala Cask Edition is the first ever bottling from the distillery to feature ex-Marsala wine casks. The whisky has been matured exclusively in rare Marsala Vergine casks sourced from the historic Frazzitta winery in Sicily, Italy. It offers a unique meeting of two coastal terroirs: Sicily and Raasay.

The new whisky also features a new colour scheme. This is inspired by the island’s geology with cool slate grey tones reflective of the rugged volcanic landscape of Raasay. It also features the indentations of fossils on the bottle.

The Isle of Raasay distillery was founded in 2017 by Alasdair Day and his company R&B Distillers. It is located on the Hebridean island of Raasay, which sits just off the eastern coast of Skye and has a population of just 161 people. The distillery is situated in an old Victorian manor house, which is also home to a six bedroom hotel and visitor centre with tasting room and bar. The distillery combines traditional practices with contemporary and eco-friendly thinking.

Production at the distillery is split – half is a peated spirit at around 50ppm (Phenol Parts per Million) and half is unpeated. This uses barley grown on the island, plus barley from Campbeltown and the Orkney Scottish Islands. All their single malt is distilled, matured and bottled on Raasay. The Signature was first released in 2021 (Batch R01) and has since been supplemented by several limited editions including the innovative Oak Species series. Our bottle is from Batch R02.3.3.

The Isle of Raasay Marsala Cask Edition is released at 50.7% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. There are just 12,300 bottles in the batch. The new whisky is initially available in the UK with other markets following. These will include France, Germany and the USA. Each bottle costs £70.

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Our Tasting Notes

The colour is deep gold and the nose is sweet, fruity and smoky. Aromas of muscovado sugar, sultana and vanilla toffee rise first, and are quickly joined by plenty of citrus peel – think of pink grapefruit zest and candied lime in particular. Further sweetness is provided in the form of heather honey and golden syrup. Wisps of salty and ashy smoke wrap around everything.

On the palate this whisky is luscious, rich and balances sweet and savoury well. The sweet and fruity notes again lead the way, especially the plump juicy sultana and candied lime. Some vanilla toffee and golden syrup also show themselves, as does a hint of milk chocolate and mocha. The crumbly brown/ muscovado sugar is never far away and adds a hint of molasses.

As on the nose, the peat smoke is never far away. There is an earthy and malty edge also, which seems to exaggerate the smoke a little. The smoke has an ashy quality, but also a distinct minerality – it feels flinty with a hint of sea salt or brine. A pinch of white pepper and an intriguing note of blackberry or bramble jam also develop. A hint of icing sugar and marshmallow come through right at the death.

The finish is long and the smoke really helps to draw it out. The candied lime and muscovado sugar dominate now and marry superbly with the drying, ash-like quality of the peat smoke. The milk chocolate and milky mocha also return nicely. With time these fade to leaving a peppery heat and ashy dryness in the mouth.

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What’s The Verdict?

The Isle of Raasay distillery have been on our radar for a while and people are talking about them as one of the best of Scotland’s new breed. It is difficult to disagree on the evidence of this Marsala Cask Edition. Not only is the spirit clearly well made but their selection of quality (and slightly unorthodox) casks is equally as well done. Here, there is a beautiful marriage of sweet vs savoury, with the sweetness accentuating the smoke and complimenting it very nicely. A delicious whisky. Do not be surprised if this makes our Top 10 list for 2025. Grab one while you can.