The true magic of whisky comes from the meeting between wood and spirit.
As the years pass, the whisky evolves, interacting with the tannins in the cask, developing unique notes and flavours, gaining complexity and value over time.
Up to 70% of the final flavour of the whisky is dictated by the type of cask used. First fill or second fill? American or European oak? Sherry seasoned or ex-Bourbon? From the nose, to the colour and the notes, all play a vital part in the golden liquid you end up holding in your hand.
American oak sherry casks provide notes of vanilla, coconut and chocolate, while spicier notes and dried fruits are commonly derived from European oak. In Ex-Bourbon casks, notes of caramel, oak, leather, nutmeg, almond and butterscotch can be found.
Simply put: without a good cask, it’s hard to create a good whisky.
Bourbon or Sherry?
Bourbon must be matured in new barrels, which means there is a good supply of used casks for the Scotch whisky industry. Used barrels are shipped from the USA to Scotland either whole or broken down into staves to be filled with new make spirit, turning them into first-fill casks. Larger hogsheads are constructed from broken-down barrels with additional staves added.
The type of oak used in the cask and the way it was originally toasted and charred affect the flavours that it imparts, as does the number of times the cask is used. As a result, most distilleries have clear cask preferences. Laphroaig, for example, uses only first-fill Maker’s Mark casks. Other Scottish distilleries prefer casks from different Bourbon producers, while some choose second, third or even fourth-fill casks in order not to overwhelm the spirit.
After several refills, a cask becomes depleted. However, it can be rejuvenated at the cooperage by shaving off its inner layer and toasting and charring it again.
Sourcing non-Bourbon casks
Demand for single-malt whisky that is matured or finished in sherry casks, and to a lesser extent in wine, port, madeira and rum casks, has increased exponentially. This has put pressure on the market for these casks, pushing prices up.
Most sherry now being produced is used to season casks for the maturation of single-malt whisky. Clients can order a cask from a sherry producer and specify whether it should be seasoned for 12 months, 24 months or longer.
This means that sourcing casks has become an important of part of distilleries’, bottlers’ and whisky cask brokers’ expertise. Some sherries are preferred over others for finishing whisky, with Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez among the most popular. The Macallan and Dalmore favour Oloroso casks, for example.
Some individual sherry casks are better than others, and an ‘off’ cask can impart unwanted notes of sulphur. Used sherry casks also contribute differently to the whisky from seasoned casks. There isn’t much activity in the wood of a 40-year-old sherry cask, but it will supply colour and flavour from the sherry that has been matured in it over the years. Therefore, this kind of cask is more appropriate for second maturation, while a seasoned cask, which will impart flavours from the wood as well as the sherry, is more typically used to mature new-make spirit.
Cask provenance
Scotch whisky distilleries have also been experimenting with maturing their spirit in casks made from different kinds of oak. Bowmore has released a single malt finished in Japanese mizunara oak (quercus crispula) casks. As the different properties of different oaks become better understood, emphasis on provenance and terroir – already a topic for barley, peat and water – is increasing in the area of casks.
The growing emphasis on provenance is already discernible in the area of wine casks, which are increasingly used in single-malt whisky maturation. Some whisky companies are not just sourcing casks from specific vineyards but are asking for certain vintages. Often, however, naming rights are restricted with these wine casks, and it is not possible to name the château from which the cask came, only the region.
Caring for your cask
Monitoring your cask and completing any necessary repairs becomes more important as it ages, not least to ensure the ABV of the spirit does not dip below the desired level or below the minimum 40% ABV level for bottling as single-malt whisky. Older spirit evaporates less quickly because it is less volatile, but an annual weight gauge is recommended if the cask reaches an ABV in the mid-40s.
Curating your cask
Investing in a whisky cask is not just about buying a cask and storing it until you are ready to sell. It is also about creating a unique and desirable spirit either to bottle yourself or to sell to an independent bottler.
A professional can advise you on how best to maximise the value of the spirit in your cask. This is partly about determining the optimum length of time to leave the spirit in the cask. Your spirit becomes more valuable as it matures, but there is a curve, and so it’s important to find the sweet spot. The timescale will also be determined by your investment objectives.
A broker can also help you to perfect the spirit in your cask by re-racking it. This is a process whereby the spirit is placed in a new cask for a period usually ranging from six months to three years for finishing. Single-malt whisky is often finished in ex-sherry casks, but wine, port, madeira, tequila, rum and mescal casks can be used.
The right finishing cask for your spirit depends on the new make spirit in the cask, the elements already imparted by the initial cask, and the flavour and colour profile that you want to achieve. It also depends on the casks that your portfolio manager can offer.
In addition, the best choice of finishing cask is governed by market trends and availability. At Whisky Cask Club we are not just here to sell you a cask. We can also help you create a spirit that is desirable for other investors or to the independent bottlers who produce the whisky industry’s finest bottlings.
Whichever wood you favour, at Whisky Cask Club we can help you to get the most from your whisky and your investment.
Speak to us today to start your investment journey.
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