A BLUFFER’S GUIDE TO WHISKY CASKS

Written by: Federica Stefani

A BLUFFER’SS GUIDE TO... Whisky casks

When it comes to the flavour of whisky casks are key, so here’s a quick run through of the drinks that impart their flavour to your favourite drams through the medium of wood

We have previously delved into the world of wood and whisky in our Bluffer’s Guide in issue five. When it comes to casks and flavours in the whisky, it’s the liquid that was in the cask before using it to mature whisky that is all important. Bourbon barrels are the most popular choice, with their vanilla and coconut notes and the almost natural exchange that comes from the bourbon industry not being able to use them twice. Drinks including sherry, wines and spirits are also used to shape the flavour profile of our favourite drams. Learning more about these products and how they are made can unlock new perspectives when it comes to tasting or buying a whisky.

SHERRY

The most popular choice of cask for whisky, after bourbon, is sherry. It is produced in Andalucia, specifically in the region of Jerez de la Frontera.

Sherry is a fortified wine, meaning that a stronger alcohol, such as brandy, will be added to a traditionally produced base wine, increasing the alcohol percentage from around 12% to 15-17%. This practice was initially introduced so that the wines could better withstand long sea journeys, but it also helps halt the fermentation process at its peak.

It is made by using white grapes of varieties such as Palomino, Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel, and its producers use a special warehousing system known as a ‘Solera’, in which casks are arranged in tiers (known as criaderas). Sherries can be divided into three main categories: dry sherry wines, naturally sweet wines, and sweet sherry wines. Oloroso, Amontillado and Manzanilla are all dry sherry wines and are among the preferred types used in the whisky industry. The first is probably the most popular in whisky maturation – made from Palomino grapes, Oloroso is peculiar in that it is allowed to age while exposed to oxygen, making it a multi-layered and complex sherry, rich and warm with a dry finish which won’t overpower the whisky. Amontillado is herbal and leathery, whereas Manzanilla is fresher and more floral. Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez are naturally sweet wines. The latter is obtained by using overly ripe grapes of the Pedro Ximénez variety, which have a high concentration of sugar. The result is sweet, syrupy and journeys, but it also helps halt the fermentation process at its peak. resinous, which imparts notes of Christmas cake, dried fruits, figs and molasses. Moscatel, although sweet and juicy, will have a more light-bodied, fresh and fruity influence on the whisky.

PORT

Another very popular fortified wine used for whisky finishing is port. Its origin is in the Douro Valley in Portugal and in the city of Vila Nova de Gaia. It’s made with both white and red grapes and fortified with

brandy, and is a quintessential dessert wine.

The most popular styles are Ruby Port, which is made with red grape varieties such as Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and is aged in large oak casks. Its distinctive bright colour can often be found in whisky matured in ruby port casks. Taste-wise, it is sweet but fresher and lower in tannins than other fortified wines, with black fruit aromas.

One of the most popular port varieties is Tawny, which is aged for at least seven years but can spend decades maturing. This makes it a deeper and more complex port in which oxidation plays an important role, giving it nuttier and sweeter, dried fruit flavours and warm spices – which we’ll later find in the whisky.

Vintage port is port which has been bottled and sold, allowing for a fermentation in the bottle, which brings very different flavours than the one in a cask. White port is made with white grapes, resulting in a fresher and drier flavour.

On the fortified side of the cask game, another one used for whisky finishes is Marsala.

RUM

A finish that has become popular in the last few years is rum cask finish, which brings into the whisky lovely notes of tropical fruits and a gentle, warm sweetness and occasional spiciness.

Rum is produced by using sugar cane, mostly in countries where the plant is widely grown like the Caribbean and South America. After harvest, the canes are cut into shorter pieces then milled – this extracts all the sugary water that is inside. The fresh sugar cane juice can be fermented and distilled to produce varieties like rhum agricole in the French Caribbean or cachaça rum in Brazil. However, most rums are produced by fermenting and distilling molasses, a thick black liquid byproduct of the sugar production industry.

Heavier, darker rums tend to be made in former French and English colonies such as Jamaica, Barbados and Martinique, and many are

unlock new perspectives when it comes to tasting or buying whisky

produced using a pot still. Countries formerly under Spanish rule like Cuba, Venezuela and Dominican Republic tend to produce lighter rums.

White rum is colourless and obtained by ageing in steel vessels. For whisky purposes, it is dark rum which is mostly appreciated. The term indicates rums which have been aged in charred oak casks, or rums to which colouring has been added, as well as spiced rum (to which spices are added).

WINE FINISHES

I could easily write an entire book about the amazing varieties of wine which lend their flavours to enhance whisky. These are some of the most popular ones: • Red wine: From the deep and rich notes of Bordeaux or Burgundy, these finishes tend to add really interesting layers to whiskies with tannins, oak and berry flavours, as well as warm spices. Amarone and Chianti, from Italy, have also been used in some experimental expressions. • Sweet wines: Sauternes, Tokaji (from Hungary) or even Ice Wine (a rare type of wine produced from frozen grapes) add layers of fruitiness, freshness, acidity and sweetness. • White wine: Experiments have been done using Champagne casks – the result tends to be fresh and zesty with notes of grape.

COGNAC

This is a type of brandy obtained using Ugni Blanc, a type of white grapes. It is a legal requirement that certain sulphites commonly used in wine production are not used in producing this spirit. It is distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years. In whisky, a cognac cask will usually deliver sweet, oaky and ripe fruity notes.

We hope these examples, although far from exhaustive, will help you start your foray into the many flavours of whisky and their origins. Enjoy the journey!