Firkin Islay Caol Isla Whisky in Marsala Cask

Firkin Islay Caol Isla Whisky in Marsala Cartoon

Firkin Islay: Caol Ila 2010 Whisky in Custom Marsala Cask

Name: Firkin Islay: Caol Ila 2010 Whisky in Custom Marsala Cask
Brand: Firkin
SKU: FRK-ILA-10-489
Price: 74.95 GBP
Availability: InStock

£74.95

In stock

Key Facts About This Single Malt Scotch

Bottler: The Firkin Whisky Company

Whisky Maker: Mike Collings

Distillery: Caol Ila

Age: 2010 Vintage

Region: Islay, Scotland

Spirit: Single cask, single malt scotch

Cask Type: Double wood, ex-marsala

Alcohol by Volume: 48.9%

Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration

Outturn: 325 Bottles

Bottle Size: 700ml

Awards: Gold medal, Whiskies Of The World Awards; Gold Medal, USA Spirits Ratings.

Firkin Islay Tasting Notes

Official tasting notes

Kapow! Smoke! Call the Fire Brigade! A waft of peat and smoke.

You only need to dig a bit for the malt and creamy oak which holds it together. This whisky has everything: big burning embers, smoky bonfire and a tad of mellowed sweetish oak. It's a peppery and lively spirit.

So chewy, so smoky, so Firkin Islay.

Ed's review

Colour: Natural, amber. Oily, coats my glass.

Nose: Paprika rubbed pork ribs on the bbq, with the rendered fat hitting the coals and turning into smoke. Malt loaf with homemade butter. A sweetness in the form of forest berry compote over natural Greek yoghurt.

Palate: Medium mouthfeel. Smokiness like burnt brisket ends - bold but not brash. Another touch of sweetness, this time like wild honey. That coastal minerality I often find in Coal Ila, briny pebbles on the beach. A visit to the spice cupboard - dried lemon, ginger, paprika, black pepper. Well-integrated alcohol (48.9%) adds body without any burn.

Finish: Medium to long. Honey, smoke and spice. Warm, and ready for another sip.

About Firkin Islay Caol Ila 2010 Whisky

This is the story of two islands, Islay and Sicily, and how they produced an award-winning whisky.

Firkin Islay combines the peaty smokiness of Caol Ila 2010 with the Muscat grape sweetness of Marsala. The flavours fuse together in Firkin Whisky Co's custom double wood cask. Their unique process mellows and softens the peat. Firkin Islay is a new take on a classic Islay whisky.

Salty peat and smoke with a touch of sweetness. Firkin Islay Coal Ila won a gold medal in the Whiskies of the World awards in the peated whiskies category. But that doesn’t come as a massive surprise to us, as this is a superb single cask release from Firkin Whisky Company.

Read more about Firkin Islay in our blog here, and more about Firkin Whisky's approach here.

Shipping and taxes

Where can you ship?

We're based in the UK, but we can ship to many countries.

We deliver to Australia, Canada (Alberta), Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Macao, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, UK, US (certain states*), and Vietnam.

*We can ship to the following US states duty-paid (so no further taxes for you): Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

How much is shipping?

Shipping charges are calculated during checkout, depending on where you live and how many bottles you’re buying. It's usually more cost effective to ship two or more bottles, particularly for international orders. The perfect excuse to treat yourself to an extra bottle!

What about taxes?

All alcoholic products sold by TopWhiskies are sold subject to UK alcohol tax, which is already included in the price.

UK sales are subject to VAT (currently 20%), which is included in the price. Sales outside of the UK are not subject to this tax, and international prices do not include it.

We use a specialist US shipper who sorts out US taxes. These costs are factored into the US shipping charges. So shipping may look pricey, but remember it covers your taxes as well, so there'll be no further bills to pay. US Customs takes two to three weeks to complete, after which your parcel will arrive at your door as if it were a normal delivery.

For all other territories, including those in Europe, please note: your order could be subject to local sales taxes and duties upon arrival in the destination country. All additional charges are the responsibility of the recipient. As customs policies vary widely from country to country, TopWhiskies has no control over these charges, so you should contact your local customs office for further information. If you refuse to pay any import duties and taxes, this could result in the goods being destroyed by customs or being returned back to us - any refund offered would include a deduction of our costs.

Which couriers do you use?

In the UK we use Royal Mail, Parcelforce and APC. US orders are sent via UPS. International orders use FedEx and DHL. Orders are despatched from our UK warehouse Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays.

Carbon neutral?

Yes, all our deliveries are carbon neutral. We work with Planet to estimate the carbon impact of each delivery, and then purchase carbon removal credits to offset the emissions.

Need help?

For help, or custom orders, please contact Ed on email ed@topwhiskies.com

Why shop with TopWhiskies?

Quality products, independent brands

All the brands I work with are independent. Many of them are small brands, run by one or two people with a whole load of passion. As a result, these unique products are top quality.

Personal support

Need help? Write to me at ed@topwhiskies.com. It's always me at the end of the email, and I'm always glad to help.

Five-star service

With happy whisky-loving customers all around the world, we're rated five stars for our service.

Secure checkout

We accept all major cards, along with PayPal and Apple Pay. Check out securely online, with the safety of SSL encryption. You can pay in a wide range of currencies, whatever is most convenient for you.

Carbon neutral shipping

We use carbon credits from nature-based removal solutions, such as reforestation and soil carbon sequestration, to ship carbon-neutral. We support Grassroots Carbon and Pachama.

Firkin Islay: Caol Ila 2010 Whisky in Custom Marsala Cask

£74.95

Meet the Founder

Mike Collings

Mike Collings could have retired with an incredible track record in whisky. He had created Johnnie Walker Blue & Green Labels, The Classic Malts, Rare Malts, Distillers Edition, Flora & Fauna series, Cardhu and Royal Lochnagar. That’s pretty good as far as CVs go.

He’s been working in whisky for 40 years. You couldn’t blame him for packing it in and putting his feet up. That would have been the sensible thing to do. But Mike is many things. Sensible isn’t one of them. Mike stirs the pot. He thinks about things differently and always asks: ‘what if …’

So, he found himself enjoying a few drams in a Tokyo bar thinking: what if I created a whisky that was unique on the single cask single malt market.

So he did. And it's Firkin awesome whisky.

Read our interview with Mike Read about Firkin Whisky Co

Personal support

There's nothing we like more than talking whisky, so we're always here to help.

Five star service

Rated five stars by happy whisky lovers around the world.

Secure payment

Pay securely using all major cards, as well as PayPal and more.

Insured shipping

Carbon-neutral worldwide shipping, with insurance.