Firkin's Single Cask Whiskies
Now available with personalised labels
Looking for a gift for a whisky lover? Whether you're looking for something to mark a special birthday or Christmas, a wedding or anniversary, a promotion or retirement, or you simple want to say thanks in style - we've got you covered.
Firkin Whisky Company
Born in Japan. Bred in Scotland. Enjoyed by an increasing number of people, Firkin is a fresh approach to Malt Whisky.
Everything about Firkin Whisky Company, from the name to the tasting notes, is different. Firkin is a tad zany, and a bit mischievous.
Firkin is about enjoyment, being self-effacing and poking good-natured fun at some of the pretentious malt stuff. Life’s too short to be serious. Life is for seriously good whisky. So, relax, pour a dram, and explore what Firkin has to offer.
Firkin Ten is the pick of the bunch for me. Combo of Madeira and double oak conjures up beautiful creamy spicy notes. Its warming, moreish and like no other" - Matt Lyon, Melbourne
"Firkin 49. Hells bells I love it. More of this please." - Graham Wright, Adelaide
"Sometimes you wish the angels didn’t take a share. This smoky, peaty Firkin Islay is amazing." - Jane Tilt, Sunbury on Thames
"Just love Firkin Islay. It's creamy, smoky and very smooth. Nice level of spice & dryness. A brilliant whisky for Autumn. Most delightful." Gary Hazell, London
"Firkin Rare. It maybe rare but I tracked it down. A real belter of a dram." - Nick Cadbury, Edinburgh
Double wood custom casks
Every cask is different because of its maturation location and type of wood and cask. That’s part of what makes selecting whisky for Firkin so great. Each whisky is recasked into a Firkin custom double oak that was seasoned with a soulmate wine.
Then we play the waiting game.
Casks develop at different speeds. There might be a practical reason for this, but making whisky is an art, not a science. The whisky is ready when it’s ready, and that’s about it
It takes time and patience to produce a Firkin awesome single malt. But it’s worth it.
Seasoned with soulmate wines
The Firkin approach is to create unique double oak barrels that use two types of oak and mature the whisky in a soulmate wine cask.
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.
But the Firkin Approach doesn’t stop at the wood.
Firkin matches the single malt with a fortified wine that accentuates and polishes the original whisky. It gives the whisky a depth of flavour, unlike any other whisky on the market.
Rare and Downright Drinkable Whiskies
Mike Collings, Firkin's founder, created Johnnie Walker Blue & Green Labels, The Classic Malts, Rare Malts, Distillers Edition, Flora & Fauna series, Cardhu and Royal Lochnagar.
Mike tests each cask every six months. Something other bottlers don’t do or can’t do. Tasting every six months isn’t hard yards, no one is going to feel sorry for poor Mike having to taste all that terrific whisky. But it is how he ensures Firkin has a unique depth of flavour.
Firkin is a hand-crafted and premium whisky. But all that really matters is that it tastes great. And this is a Firkin awesome single malt scotch whisky.
Mike Collings, Founder
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 50 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.
It's your whisky, you make the rules
How to enjoy your dram
Crystal is great if you're next to a fire. But a tulip shape helps you pick up more notes.
Adding a few drops of water loosens the flavours. You taste more.
Ice makes whisky colder. That’s no bad thing on a hot day.
Give your whisky a few good sniffs. You taste more with your nose than your tongue.
Don’t spit on anyone’s shoes. That’s rude.
Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise. We don’t think anyone should tell you how to enjoy your dram. Drink it how you like it. It’s your Firkin whisky, after all.
What are we doing on Islay?
Islay Water and Scotch
Whisky only has three ingredients, and water is one of them. The other two are yeast and barley. You can’t have whisky without water. On Islay, you can almost cut the water with a spade. It’s peaty, brownish and runs off the peat bogs.
This excellent Islay water is pretty essential to making Firkin Islay. We pair Caol Ila 2010 with Marsala from Sicily, and the result is salty peat and smoke with a softer spicy sweeter finish.
We're Up to Something Fishy
The Heart of the Matter
We want to cut out the heart. Like the bad guy in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The distiller’s art is to capture the heart of the whisky. Think of it as the best part of a salmon, the best distillers leave the head and the tail.
The Tullibardine 2012 that goes into Firkin 49 tugs at your heartstrings. We match it with a mix of Oloroso & Amontillado sherry. The result is soft and nutty. Firkin 49 has the subtle richness of Oloroso and the nutty dryness of Amontillado. It’s amazing.
We ferment to do that
From beer to whisky
Then the magic of whisky starts by making beer. Seriously. Making whisky starts by grinding malted barley, mashing it with water and adding special yeast to let it ferment. This gives you a distiller’s beer. It’s ale in a day’s work. Well, actually, the process takes 4-5 days.
The distiller’s beer is distilled and put into an oak cask to mature into whisky. We take a distilled Benrinnes and pair it with Madeira in a custom double oak barrel. The result is the rich and lively Firkin Ten whisky.
We came to say halo
Look, in the Whi...sky
Whisky evaporates from a maturing cask at about 2-3 per cent per year. It’s called the angel’s share. In Scotland, 105 million litres of whisky evaporate from their casks each year. That’s 200 million bottles. They must be some thirsty angels.
After 10 years, a whisky cask loses 30% of its contents. So, it really is Firkin Rare. But it’s worth it. We take Aultmore 2010 matched with Marsala. After some patience, it becomes a whisky that is both succulent and rich. No wonder the angels take so much.
Firkin's Blog
Stories from Mike Collings
Around the world in 80 days: A Christmas Tale
Mike Collings had two major meetings on two continents, and all the week before Christmas. Here's a rather unusual festive story!
Read more
Gone To The Dogs, The Story Of Copper Dipping Dogs
The story of copper dipping dogs, told from the days of families working in the old Scottish distilleries.
Read more
Diageo's Classic Malts of Scotland
How do you make single malt bottlings more popular? This was the challenge Mike Collings faced.
Read more