WHISKY FINISHES

BARRELS OF BARRELS OF BARRELS OF

Fun

WHISKY HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER BECAUSE OF INNOVATIONS LIKE THE CASK FINISH THAT KEEPS THIS SPIRIT INTERESTING AND MOST OF ALL, DESIRABLE, SAYS CLIFFORD ROBERTS.

SPIRITS WHISKY FINISHES

WHAT IS A WHISKY FINISH?

In the world of spirits, legal definition is important and strict. To be Scotch for example, the spirit must be distilled in Scotland, from water and malted barley and matured in oak casks for at least three years. That’s just for starters. So, it’s to be expected that under these rules that distillers pride themselves on achieving differentiation through innovation and insist that any comparison of whiskies in terms of say, “whisky finishes”, be absolutely equal. The term itself is not specifically defined in regulation, but is popularly taken to mean the transfer of mature spirit from one cask to a new or different cask before bottling. This should not be confused with whiskies that spend the largest part or entire aging in for example, sherry casks, as is the case with The Macallan Sherry Oak.

ABOVE: The James Sedgwick distillery in Wellington is where innovative batches of whisky spend a year in barrels previously used for the maturation of Pinotage or Pedro Ximenez sherry, taking on a slightly different flavour. RIGHT: The process all starts off the same … with the initial brewing and fermentation in a mash tun.

SPIRITS WHISKY FINISHES

Wood is one of the most important components in the making of a whisky.

The cask finish has been a tool of the whisky-maker that is worthy of declaration on the label for decades. Still, it represents one of the frontiers where new and exciting expressions continue to excite the serious whisky-lover almost as much as the maturation age of the spirit.

The term itself broadly refers to the practice of using stock-in-trade barrels for additional maturation of whisky over months or years, allowing the whisky to take on a different organoleptic character. American oak may, for example, add vanilla notes while sherry brings spice, depth and fullness of flavour. In almost all cases, cask finished whiskies are supplementary to the main brand in a portfolio.

“Wood is one of the most important components in the making of a whisky,”says whisky aficionado Hector Mcbeth, owner of WhiskyShop.co.za. “While the use of different types of wood is not new as a trend, the marketing thereof is.”

Whisky finishes that distillers employ, encompass five categories of casks: virgin oak, wine, fortified wine, spirit and beer. “Beer casks are big now because of the popularity of craft beer, while an interesting development emerging in Europe is the use of Irish oak,” he says. “Also worthy to note is that sherry casks aren’t necessarily Spanish oak, but could be American oak that previously held sherry.” Just a few months ago, Three Ships in Wellington launched the first whisky finished in a cask previously used for the maturation of Pinotage, a uniquely South African wine cultivar. The Three Ships 15 Year Old Pinotage Cask Finish claims the title for oldest whisky launched in South African history. Not that distiller Andy Watts and the team at James Sedgwick Distillery are new to this kind of thing. The Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish, which undergoes a three-year maturation before spending six months in first-fill bourbon casks, was first released in 2005.

The whiskies on South African liquor store shelves that make use of this kind of technique are generally not mainstream, everyday brands. For one, using additional barrels usually means an extra cost that the whisky-lover is likely to appreciate in the pursuit of a sublime, sipping whisky experience.

Calitzdorp’s famous Boplaas, maker of Portugal-style wines and brandy, added gin and whisky to its portfolio over the past 18 months. Boplaas Whisky is made from South African maize, distilled to an alcohol content of 93% and then diluted with distilled water to 68% strength. The ageing takes place in American oak barrels for around five years. This is followed by six to 12 months in Boplaas brandy barrels. After the ageing, the whisky is once again diluted with distilled water to 43% and then bottled unfiltered.

“We’re constantly experimenting with different types of barrels,” says Boplaas winemaker and distiller Margaux Nel. “We get some interesting and great results, but we’re very conscious of what is commercially viable.”

Fortunately, it seems that even the average spirit appreciator is far more adventurous thanks to the work of the pioneers of this technique, the investors who’ve stuck with it and the more current diversity exploding in categories like gin.

“Nowadays it’s easy to find whiskies that have been matured in casks that once held Port,

SPIRITS WHISKY FINISHES VOLUME 31

Madeira or Sauternes, in addition to the very popular use of sherry casks,” says Marc Pendelbury, one of the most recent South African additions to the esteemed Keepers of the Quaich Scotch whisky fraternity.

Whiskies have even been finished in casks formerly used for making Indian Pale Ale; and, specific wines like Banyuls, Pinot noir, Cabernet sauvignon, Burgundy and Champagne.

Some of the earliest adopters to promote the whisky finish include Glenmorangie and The Balvenie, which have continued to add to their portfolios in this field. Among them, you’ll find at places like TOPS liquor stores, Glenmorangie Highland single malt’s 12 Year Old Lasanta sherry cask finish, Quinta Ruban Port cask finish and Nectar D’Or with casks from Sauternes.

There’s Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old, which employs ex Oloroso sherry casks and American oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads; and 17 Year Old, with American oak barrels and European oak sherry casks as well as the brand’s 14 Year Old, finished in casks of Caribbean rum.

Glenfiddich includes the 21 Year Old, which spends four months in “Reserva Rum” casks.

Adding even more paints to its whisky palette is Irish brand Tullamore Dew. Its 15 Year Old Trilogy is “triple distilled pot still, malt and grain whiskeys perfected in three different oak asks: oloroso sherry, bourbon and golden rum”. “All whisky starts in pretty much the same way,” declared The Glenlivet for the South African release of its speciality cask-finished range last year. New make spirit is diluted slightly and put in barrel for the legislated minimum number of years. “This is where the magic of the process begins.”

Over time, the spirit diffuses into the porous wood, which also acts as a filter. Chemical reactions between the ethanol and the compounds in the wood produce the taste, aromas, colour and mouthfeel of the whisky.

The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky, for example, is finished in casks that previously held heavily peated Scotch whisky, giving a gently smoky twist to the classic, smooth and fruity house style that The Glenlivet is known for.

“A new trend in the promotion of finishing is brand new, ‘virgin’ oak casks that have never been used before to impart a lot of wood influence over a shorter time span,” says Pendelbury, who founded and co-owns the WhiskyBrother whisky shop in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. “Since cask finishing started appearing on labels in the 1980s it has become a totally acceptable method for whisky producers to deviate from their traditional house profile. With that said, not all cask finished whisky is necessary better, or even as good; like all things

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough.” – Mark Twain

whisky it is a matter of personal preference.

“But don’t draw conclusions too fast. For example, if you try a sherry cask finish but don’t enjoy it, don’t immediately rule out all other sherry finishes (or even sherry maturation for that matter). Sherry is a very broad drink in its own right with many different varieties and flavours, so you need to dig deeper in order to understand when it is used for a finishing. Similarly, if you try a cask finish from a particular producer but don’t like it, don’t rule out the rest of the producer’s range, which will undoubtedly differ in flavour.”

ABOVE: Colour coding provides an easy way for The Glenlivet to keep track of the various barrels in their vast maturation warehouses in the Scottish highlands.

W H I S K Y

T A S T I N G

THE SUBTLE FLAVOURS OF WHISKY ARE INFLUENCED BY A WIDE VARIETY OF THINGS. A TASTING PANEL COMPRISING EXPERT HECTOR MCBETH, WRITERS CLIFFORD ROBERTS, DR WINNIE BOWMAN, FIONA MCDONALD AND CHEERS MAGAZINE PUBLISHER SHAYNE DOWLING REVIEWED A FEW EXAMPLES.

N O T E S

“I t’s the water source,” some whisky lovers maintain, while others believe that the origin of the barley and whether it’s peated or not has the biggest impact on what the dram in the glass tastes like.

Both are true, but ultimately wood plays one of the most crucial roles because of the length of time that the spirit of Scotland spends maturing in oak barrels.

This tasting looked at the impact that barrels which had already done service maturing either sherry from Spain, French dessert wine Sauternes, Pinotage from South Africa or even India Pale Ale beer can have on a whisky’s flavour.

“Whisky, like a beautiful woman,

demands appreciation. You gaze first,

then it’s time to drink.” – Japanese

bestselling author, Haruki Murakami.

PANEL CHOICE PANEL CHOICE

GLENFIDDICH RICH OAK “Old school,” McBeth said. Leathery notes, soft and gentle textured with a subtle elements of floral pot-pourri and even a touch of moss. Clifford Roberts liked is cinnamon and citrus zest nuances. Rounded, superbly smooth and velvety with a hint of treacle sweetness on the end.

SINGLETON TAILFIRE With no age statement, this is a young whisky. Fruity, quite fiery in its spirit bite but with nougat notes and prominent toasty oak adding some woodsmoke nuances too. Bold, edgy and firm structured.

GLENMORANGIE NECTAR D’OR Finished in barrels previously used for French sweet wine Sauternes (like South African noble late harvest) Dr Bowman found dried apricot while McBeth noted winegum flavours. He also described the nose as ethereal and light with subtle almond/marzipan. Publisher Shayne Dowling said it was the lady in the group – elegant and beautiful. GLENFIDDICH IPA Finishing whisky in ex-beer casks is the latest thing and what surprised the panel was how light the influence of the beer was. “There’s a slight yeasty character or cream cracker biscuit note,” said Roberts while McBeth likened it to baking cookies. Both Dowling and McDonald noted the peppery flavour. Dr Bowman said the palate was silky and smooth with a light refreshing bitterness on the end – like a beer.

“The water was not fit to drink. To make it

palatable, we had to add whisky. By diligent

MACALLAN FINE OAK 12 YEAR OLD Three types of oak are used in this: European oak, American oak that’s contained sherry and American oak with bourbon. The nose was a touch leathery and oily but the palate was beautiful as Clifford Roberts commented. Burnt butter with shortbread and toasted pecans Fiona McDonald said.

GLENMORANGIE LASANTA The nose and palate are like walking through autumnal woods, with dry, dusty leaves underfoot. Its sherry cask finish makes Lasanta light and gentle in the mouth yet full-bodied. McBeth praised this for being “textbook sherry cask finish – not overpowering”. Smooth and creamy with light spicy notes, caramel and shortbread flavour.

THREE SHIPS 15 YEAR OLD PINOTAGE CASK FINISH An absolute “Wow!” if you can get your hands on one of the 4 000 bottles of this. Included in the tasting because of its uniquely South African finish in an old Pinotage barrel, the whisky is not widely available. It’s big and robust with a noticeably different, red-tinged colour and light cherry, red berry fruit nose, all wrapped in a bold oak cloak. That same big woody flavour is on the palate – really toasty! “It’ll be hard to drink more than one glass,” McBeth said.

Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky.

- Anonymous

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN... ADVERTORIAL JOHNNIE WALKER GREEN LABEL

Johnnie Walker®, the number one Scotch whisky in the world, is to re-introduce Johnnie Walker Green Label™, its blended malt Scotch whisky, as part of its core range globally in response to demand from consumers and customers around the world.

Johnnie Walker Green Label is crafted from a palette of Speyside, Highland, Lowland and Island malts matured for at least 15 years, delivering all the character of a single malt whisky, but with greater depth and a wider flavour experience.

The unique flavour profile of Johnnie Walker Green Label is a result of the careful balancing of four key signature styles, represented by Talisker™, Linkwood™, Cragganmore™ and Caol Ila™.

Talisker from the Isle of Skye, with its wood smoke, pepper, oak and rich fruits, gives the blend power and depth of character. Linkwood, a distinctive Speyside malt, adds the finesse with its light garden fruits and flowers and cedar wood notes. Cragganmore, a sweet and fragrant Speyside malt, gives the blend an exceptional malty heart and hints of sweet wood smoke and sandalwood. Finally, Caol Ila – Islay’s best kept secret – is a very special malt which brings an element of maritime mystery through its notes of rich fruit, drying sea salt and peat smoke, each adding to the natural intensity of Johnnie Walker Green Label. Guy Escolme, Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director, said: “Johnnie Walker Green Label is an exceptional whisky which is a tribute to the craftsmanship of our blenders and their great skill in selecting and blending malt whiskies to deliver a rich, multi-dimensional and balanced flavour profile.

The unique flavour profile of Johnnie Walker Green Label is a

result of the careful balancing of

“We have listened to our customers and consumers and we are responding to popular demand to bring it back into our core range. Johnnie Walker Green Label has always had a following and releasing limited volumes of it in the US and Australia this year to mark the tenth anniversary of its first introduction has revealed how much consumers have missed Johnnie Walker Green Label and want to see it back. We’re thrilled to be able to respond to that.

Johnnie Walker Green Label has won a string of international awards including Double Gold and Best Blended Scotch at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in both 2006 and 2007.

It will occupy a unique place in the Johnnie Walker core range as a blended malt Scotch whisky with a distinctive character derived from mature casks from classic malt distilleries.

Jim Beveridge, Johnnie Walker Master Blender, said: “The challenge of Johnnie Walker Green Label is to have a wide flavour spectrum from malts matured for 15 years in American and European Oak, ensuring that those flavours really complement each other and work in harmony to create a blend of great complexity which, at its heart, is true to the Johnnie Walker style of big and bold flavours with a signature smokiness.

“Crafting this blend is all about making the aromas more pronounced and vibrant, allowing us to shape a blend that has the depth of character which just isn’t possible from one malt whisky alone.” In the Johnnie Walker core range, Johnnie Walker Green Label will sit between Johnnie Walker® Double Black™ and Johnnie Walker® Gold Label Reserve™.

So lift a glass on the 25th of July to say Happy Birthday to John Walker, the founding father of this iconic scotch whisky brand. Born in 1805, he would have been delighted to see his whisky – whether its Red, Black, Gold, Green, Platinum, Swing or Blue Label – still being demanded and enjoyed by people all over the world.