Isle of Raasay Dùn Cana Sherry Quarter Cask Release 52% Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70cl (November 2023 Release)
RELEASE DATE November 2023
Introducing Dùn Cana – Sherry Quarter Cask Release, a new whisky encompassing the prowess of Raasay’s mighty volcanic mountain. 66 million years in the making.
Peated and unpeated spirit matured first in the strong foundations of American rye casks with a second maturation in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry quarter casks. This whisky exudes peppery spice, dried sultanas and hints of vanilla, with a finish of lingering salty chocolate and a light hint of aromatic wood smoke.
Dùn Cana is a new annual release from the Isle of Raasay Distillery, with each edition offering slight points of difference in cask composition or age.
Limited First Edition release of 14,000 bottles worldwide (5,000 in the UK)
Non-chill filtered and natural colour.
ABV 52%
Net weight: 1.5kg
Tasting Notes & Facts
This burnished gold spirit boasts notes of rich dried fruit and sultanas, with hints of vanilla toffee and roasted nuts. Expect a hint of white pepper and sea salt and a finish full of aromatic wood smoke.
Release Date: November 2023
ABV: 52%
Presentation: Natural colour, non-chill filtered
First Maturation Cask Type: Ex Rye Woodford Reserve US Kentucky American Oak ASB 190 litres
Second Maturation Cask Type: Ex Pedro Ximénez & Ex Oloroso Spain Jerez Sherry Quarter Cask 125 litres
Spirit Types: Isle of Raasay peated (55%) and unpeated (45%) spirit
Barley Variety: Concerto & Arbikie laureate barley
Yeast Type: MW
Water Source: Isle of Raasay Distillery 60 metre well on site – Tobar na Bà Baine
Fermentation Time: 3 and 5 day fermentations
Spirit Cut Point: Narrow cut point
Cask Filling Strength: 63.5% abv
Distillation Date of Youngest Spirit: 25 November 2019 (3YO – 3 years 11 months)
Distillation Date of Oldest Spirit: 14 January 2019 (4YO – 4 years 10 months)
First Maturation Vatting: 04/04/2023
Second Maturation Vatting: 13/10/2023
Bottling: November 2023
Maturation & Bottling: Isle of Raasay Distillery
Number of Bottles: Approximately 14,000
And the Name?
‘Dùn’ is Gaelic for an elevated stronghold. The word has been commonly adopted across Scotland in place names such as ‘Dùn’dee, ‘Dùn’keld, ‘Dùn’fermline and ‘Dùn’add in Argyll. Island legend holds that ‘Cana’ was an island warrior who took to the highest point on Raasay for his stronghold and lookout. The island peak named after Cana became ‘Dùn Cana’ – pronounced ‘Doon Caa-nuh’.
Isle of Raasay Distillery
Co-founders Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day first met in 2013 and formed R&B Distillers with the common goal of building Scotland’s leading artisanal distiller. Focusing on local production, provenance, quality and doing things differently.
By 2015, they had identified the Isle of Raasay as providing the ingredients for the perfect dram, and planning permission to begin work revitalising the Isle of Raasay’s nineteenth century Borodale House into a state-of-the-art distillery, visitor centre, and luxury accommodation was granted in 2016.
Starting with a blank sheet of paper, they set about designing a distillery to create exceptional whisky that develops elegance, complexity, and depth early on in the maturation process and a handcrafted Hebridean gin that encapsulates Raasay’s style, character and impressive geological variety.
