Whisky Advocate

Whisky Advocate magazine is the premier source for whisky information, education and entertainment for whisky enthusiasts.

In Praise of the Cask

Whisky Advocate

Distillations • LEAD A MORE SPIRITED LIFE

Jewel of the Northwest • Less celebrated than Portland and Seattle, Vancouver is a hidden treasure

Keeping It Light • Low-ABV cocktails that go down easy and are still satisfying

Sweet and Sticky • Toffee flavors can indeed be found in great whiskies

Korean Go-To Pairings

A Step Back in Time • Prohibition’s spirit is alive and well in modern times at these great speakeasy bars around the country

What’s in A Name? • Whiskies with unusual monikers and how they came about

Hot and Heavy

The Southern Charm Hot Brown • This riff on the classic is a Derby Day winner

The Compass Box Collector • A vast trove of limited editions has seen some auction highs and some surprising lows

Memory Lane Is a Dead-End Street

The Naming of the Grain

Frankendrinking

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CASK FINISHING • It all started with a simple attempt at a sherry finish, and today barrel finishing is a global adventure

SHERRY • Sherry is the oldest of wine barrel finishes, and can coax out a variety of flavors. Oloroso is the predominant style used, adding rich dried fruits, spice, chocolate, and nuts. Floral, herbal, and almond notes are derived from fino and amontillado casks, and plum and raisin notes from Pedro Ximénez casks.

PORT • As with sherry, a variety of port casks and styles are used, including ruby, tawny, white, rosé, and vintage. In addition to deepening the color of the whisky in red wine fashion, port casks introduce cranberry, cherry, plum, and blackberry flavors.

MADEIRA • Madeira casks provide honey and sweet fruits. It’s still a somewhat atypical finish compared to sherry and port, but one that’s being seen more often these days. Many of the major whisky makers have tried their hand at this one.

OTHER WINES Bordeaux, California, and Beyond • Wine barrels made of French and American oak are the usual choice of winemakers, and the freshly emptied barrels are sought by distilleries. The properties of the oak and the residual wine influence the final whisky. Red wines typically impart summer berries, jammy notes, and spices, while dessert wines like sauternes drape the whisky with sweet honey and syrup flavors.

OTHER SPIRITS Rum, Tequila, Cognac, Awamori, and More • First-fill bourbon barrels add honey, vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak notes to a whisky, rye barrels bring spice and cinnamon, and peated casks inject smokiness to unpeated whiskies. Rum casks imbue tropical fruit sweetness, while brandy and cognac casks add spice, leather, and cooked fruit. Tequila and mezcal casks introduce agave flavors, herbal notes, and citrus.

GOING THE WHOLE 10 YARDS • Not every whisky maker chooses to have their liquid go through a round of finishing in classic finishing casks like sherry, port, and others. Some go all the way, maturing the distillate for its entire maturation period in casks more commonly used for finishing. Examples include whiskies from Yamazaki, Kilchoman, Kavalan, Penderyn, and Kaiyō.

NEW WOOD • This is about finishing in new barrels, and each wood type brings something different to the table. New American oak creates vanilla, toffee, and peppery spice; while woods such as limousin and chinkapin oak ramp up the spice factor and the nuttiness; mizunara oak from Japan adds sandalwood, incense, and cedar notes; while Brazilian amburana boosts flavors of cinnamon and vanilla.

BEER • After distillers dump whisky from their barrels, some brewers use them to age their beer. The beer usually rests in the casks for 2-3 months and...