Cask finishing is the stage in the whisky making process when the malt is moved from one barrel to another to finish the maturing. There’s a growing trend, even among traditional master blenders of whisky, to use casks which were earlier used for different varieties of wine or other beverages and spirits to add extra flavours. By experimenting with different cask types and sizes, the whisky makers create varied notes and unusual finishes. The spirit will be heavily influenced by the cask it’s been in and the type of wood used, age, size and the previous liquid in the cask will all make a difference. The different kinds of finish that can be added include wood, wine, port, sherry, madeira, rum and beer. Common cask styles include barrel, barrique, pipe barrique, puncheon, Pedro Ximénez, oloroso, amontillado, fino and manzanilla in a range of wood such as American oak, Irish oak, Japanese oak, French oak and Portuguese Oak. Layers of notes that are added at the cask finishing stage include spice, vanilla, sweet oak, fresh bread, tart au citron, crème caramel, red berry, cherry, plum, red currant, sultana dates, walnut, figs, molasses, vanilla, tropical fruits etc.
Bardstown Bourbon Company of Kentucky has tied-up with brandy maker Copper & Kings to create a whiskey finished in Destillaré Orange Curaçao barrels. The barrel-finished release comprises nine-year-old Tennessee Bourbon finished for 18 months in Destillaré Orange Curaçao barrels from Copper & Kings. The additional maturation was said to give the whiskey “a brilliant orange nose”, as well as flavours of baking spice, vanilla and maple. The whiskey is the latest release in the distillery’s Collaborative Series, a line of Bourbons that have been finished in an array of wine, beer and spirits barrels.
Beam Suntory-owned Courvoisier has also been experimenting with barrel finishes and in 2020 premiered its new series with a Bourbon cask-finished expression. The first release in the series was Courvoisier Avant-Garde Bourbon Finish, a VS expression finished in Kentucky Bourbon casks. The expression’s additional maturation is said to produce an elegant and velvety finish with tasting notes of vanilla, honey and sweet marmalade. On the palate, it is described as having notes of soft smoky leather and sweet orange.
In 2019, the rules governing Scotch whisky production were relaxed to allow new cask types to be used in maturation. Following this, Scotch whisky brand Dewar’s unveiled a blend finished in Mexican alcobeverage ilegal mezcal casks. Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth is made by finishing eight-year-old Dewar’s in ex-ilegal mezcal casks for one month. The process is said to create an expression that complements the aromas and flavours of Scotch with the traditional profile of mezcal.
Kentucky-based Barrell Craft Spirits has added Barrell Seagrass to its portfolio, a blend of American and Canadian rye whiskeys finished in three different cask types. To create the new expression, each ingredient in the blend has been finished separately in Martinique rhum agricole casks, apricot brandy casks, and Madeira barrels. The components were then blended together to create Barrell Seagrass. Maturation in the three distinct cask types has given the expression aromas of honeydew melon, plum and apricot. The palate is said to be full of classic rye whiskey flavours paired with pear, lychee and white grapefruit.
Dublin-based Teeling distillery tied up with and London’s Umbrella Brewing for the first Irish whiskey finished in hand-selected ginger beer casks. Released in 2020, Umbrella London Ginger Beer finished Teeling Whiskey had flavours of ginger, rich molasses and subtle hints of malt. The Teeling Small Batch Whiskey challenges the convention of what an Irish Whiskey can be, with layers of unique flavour from cask maturation techniques. Hand-selected casks of grain and malt whiskey are initially fully aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, then married together in central American rum casks for up to 12 months for a unique, dried fruit profile.
Bruichladdich Distillery Company, an Islay region distillery, has an exclusive contract with Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla (oloroso casks are used for this whisky) for its sherry cask-aged whiskies which are aged in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-syrah wine and ex-vin doux naturel casks for the Bruichladdich Port Charlotte. The peat smoke comes across with tropical fruit notes, raisins and a hint of buttered popcorn. The Port Charlotte MC :01 is the latest single malt crafted with pride at the house of Bruichladdich. Head distiller Adam Hannett has identified a unique relationship between Port Charlotte smoke and sweet wine casks. The Port Charlotte MC:01 has been matured in ex-Sicilian wine casks. European oak has previously held this fortified wine for nine years, resulting in a glorious autumnal whisky.
Compass Box Magic Cask II: This limited-edition blended malt is an example of how even youthful whiskies can be enhanced with monitoring in the right barrels, and the right blending techniques. Here, American oak is seasoned with Oloroso sherry for just the right pop of roasty jam. Magic Cask is perfect for those who appreciate lush fruitiness and fullness of body in their malt whiskies. The oloroso butts from which the ‘magic cask’ emerged were sourced from Bodega José y Miguel Martín. The grade of American oak which was used delivers moderate tannin and a gentle seasoning process with oloroso wine. The right levels of sweetness, tartness and spiciness were ensured from the Sherry cask.
Milam & Greene Port Cask-Finished Rye: Rye sourced from Indiana is brought to Texas where it is batched in the warehouse and finished in old Port wine casks from Portugal. The Texan sun influences the rate and strength of flavour imparted into the whiskey. Some casks take longer than others. The team tastes the whiskey finishing in the port wine casks regularly until the optimal flavours are achieved. Casks are then batched together, tested regularly and proofed before bottling. The rich dark fruits, chocolate, caramel and toffee flavours mellow the spiciness of the rye.
Westward Pinot Noir cask single malt whiskey: The star wine grape of Oregon is pinot noir and the distillery has partnered with local wineries to produce a stunning PN cask-finished single malt. It gets its vivid cherry-red hue from resting in the barrels for up to 2 years. The flavour is dry, with the dark plum and cherry accents allowing the maltiness of the whisky to come through.
Bardstown Bourbon Phifer Pavitt Cabernet Finish II: After the success of its partnership with this Napa Valley winery for its first release in 2019, the 2020 edition takes 10-year-old Tennessee whiskey and gives it a long rest for 18 months in cabernet sauvignon barrels. The inherent char of the whiskey mixes well with the grape flavour from the wine barrel, but manages to stay dry and toasty.
