Firkin Whisky - we discovered these during the lockdown doldrums of 2021. A quirky name and a company that doesn’t take life too seriously, Firkin is the creation of the Whisky legend Mike Collings. The man responsible for Johnnie Walker Blue & Green Labels, The Classic Malts, Rare Malts, Distillers Edition, Flora & Fauna series, Cardhu and Royal Lochnagar…pretty impressive! Fair to say Mike is a genuine authority on all things Whisky! The Firkin range is all matured in custom casks: “The first type of cask is American oak from first-fill Bourbon. The second is new Limousin oak with a custom char. Master coopers combine the two types of oak into one barrel. The result is a cask with a unique oak profile.” Then the individual cask is distillery matched to a fortified wine cask to showcase its particular characteristics. The Mellow & Luscious Firkin Rare is Aultmore (Speyside) 10-year-old into Marsala cask, Soft & Nutty Tullibardine (Highland) 8yo sees Oloroso & Amontillado, Salty Peat & Smoke Firkin Islay is Caol Ila (Islay) 9yo finished with Marsala cask. All bottled at 48.9%. All Firkin delicious.