Your Single Cask Whisky Questions Answered

Single cask whisky provides one thing really particular—a one-of-a-kind expertise in each bottle. Not like blended whiskies, these come from a single barrel, giving every bottle its personal distinctive character and making them extremely restricted. As Whisky & Tasting Panel Coordination, I’ve spent years with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and exploring these uncommon expressions, and the individuality of every cask, by no means fails to amaze me.

On this article, I’ll dive into what makes single cask whisky so distinctive, the way it’s produced, and why it stands other than different whiskies. From cask power flavors to the impression of maturation, we’ll discover the craftsmanship that goes into every bottle.

What Is Single Cask Whisky? 

Once we discuss a single cask whisky, we describe a whisky from one distillery that has spent its total maturation in a single sort of cask. Usually, because of this the whisky you get is from one cask solely and due to this fact in phenomenally restricted amount. 

The biggest authorized cask for scotch whisky holds just below 700 liters. If crammed on the business normal of 63.5% ABV with no losses, it might yield as much as 1,000 bottles at cask power. If the whisky is then diluted to 48% ABV, you could possibly hope for a most of 1,322 bottles. 

Most casks within the scotch whisky business can maintain a most of 200 to 500 liters. On common, 2% of the alcohol within the cask is “misplaced to the angels” yearly, so that you get the purpose. No two casks are the identical and bottles crammed from every of them are in extremely quick provide. 

How Is Single Cask Whisky Totally different From Different Whiskies? 

Single cask whisky distinguishes itself from different single malts, blended malts, and blended whiskies in that it will possibly by no means be blended or consolidated. Not even with a whisky from the identical distillery, distilled on the identical day and matured in the identical sort of cask. 

As soon as the final bottle of a single cask is cracked open and loved, it’s water (of life) beneath the bridge. That particular expression won’t ever be seen once more. Although it might sound unhappy, in a approach, that is fairly the other and a gateway to perpetually new and distinctive experiences. 

Single casks are very like a snapshot of 1 particular day, or week, at one particular distillery. Simply as you’ll be able to by no means take the very same image twice, you’ll be able to’t fill the very same cask twice, irrespective of how a lot you want to.  The historical past of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is full of examples of casks crammed on the identical day and bottled in shut succession that showcase a robust household resemblance but additionally hanging variations. It’s fascinating and eye-opening. 

What Does ‘Cask Energy’ Imply? 

Cask power does what it says on the tin, actually. It means the whisky is because it comes out of the cask for its alcoholic power. One other method to put it’s ‘undiluted’, at the least from the cask. 

Whereas it’s seen now and again, it isn’t typically frequent observe to cask spirit because it comes out of the nonetheless. It’s first collected within the spirit receiver and the power is introduced all the way down to someplace round 63.5% (for scotch whisky anyway) earlier than being poured into casks. 

Whereas this step just isn’t a authorized requirement and could also be intentionally ignored for shares meant to age a very long time, it’s a helpful course of to acquire a extra constant whisky down the road. Furthermore, there’s a basic notion that filling at too excessive a power might be detrimental to the cask and its longevity. 

For whisky drinkers although, what this implies is that they’re supplied an unadulterated expression of whisky which they could select to dilute to the extent that pleases them most on any given day. Drinkers may sip it neat to soak up the highly effective and strong palate that these expressions provide. 

Simply think about the concentrated cereally, floral, and fruity notes of some Speyside or Highlands whiskies in bourbon casks, or the smoldering, treacly, and smoky depth of a closely peated Islay dram in first fill Spanish oak sherry.  No matter you select, cask power whisky will provide an expertise of superlative taste depth. 

Is Single Cask Whisky Higher Than Blended Whisky? 

That’s a query that retains coming again. However in our books, it’s apples and oranges. 

These two whisky varieties exist for very totally different causes. On the one and, single casks had been barely ever seen earlier than the times of the Society and, as I used to be saying, they seize the character of a distillery on one explicit day in a single explicit cask. They find yourself tasting the way in which they do due to uncooked supplies, tools, processes, and a good bit of hope that the cask will do its job as anticipated. However every cask is totally different, every tree they’re manufactured from grows as nature supposed, so there can by no means be an ideal consistency from one cask to the subsequent. 

Most blended whiskies however are made to suit into a particular taste profile persistently, utilizing typically eyewatering numbers of casks. Blended whiskies (we aren’t speaking about blended malts right here) additionally use grain whisky which is rather a lot cheaper to make and is far more impartial than malt in its flavors. 

So, blends actually have their benefits and are fairly versatile. They will vary from entry stage cheap fodder to your highballs and mixers to extremely luxurious and pricy vintage concoctions to sip and savour on their very own. These days, we additionally see extra unbiased blended whiskies and blended malts showing that sit someplace in between these two extremes. 

 In a nutshell, the blended scotch whisky class has so many alternative incarnations that it’s inconceivable to make a judgment on the way it compares to single casks. And once more, we must always in all probability chorus from evaluating issues which might be so radically totally different in nature. Simply go forth and discover with out preconceptions, you solely have your style buds to reply to. 

How Do You Select A Good Whisky To Bottle From A Single Cask? 

There aren’t any shortcuts. Expertise tells us what may be prepared for us to contemplate, however the last resolution belongs to our tasting panel. In the event that they deem one thing just isn’t prepared or not so good as it needs to be, then it is not going to be bottled. In the end, whereas it’s good enjoyable to have fascinating and quirky packaging, the actual worth of whisky is in its flavors. 

So, know your self and the flavors you normally take pleasure in, and skim tasting notes earlier than you order or buy a bottle (they’re meant to be fanciful however very informative, simply take a step again and attempt to think about). And even higher, style it if in case you have the chance to take action. In any case taste desire is eminently private and a few will relish a balanced dram with class and complexity, some will prize juicy fruitiness whereas others nonetheless. 

Nevertheless it’s not all about single casks. 

Now we have developed well-recognized experience in extra maturation the place we put a whisky into a special cask and is due to this fact by the strictest definition not single cask whiskies (the whisky having been moved from its unique cask into a brand new one). No effort is spared to make use of solely high-quality casks after which a protracted monitoring course of ensues, that lasts for at least – however nearly at all times far more than two years. I nonetheless consider that these casks showcase that snapshot of a day in a distillery’s historical past. 

However don’t take it from me, the Society has been trawling in at least 163 awards for these extra-matured whiskies since 2018. 

The place Can I Purchase Single Cask Whisky? 

www.smws.com or www.smwsa.com if you’re within the USA. If you end up in Edinburgh, pay us a go to at our Kaleidoscope bar at 28 Queen Avenue, you’ll have the chance to style a variety of single casks and if these are pleasing to you, we’ll be glad to welcome you as a member and provide you with entry to a variety of single casks and single malts in addition to curiosities so that you can uncover and revel in. 

You may also discover us at many whisky festivals world wide, and we arrange tastings in lots of international locations world wide which might be additionally accessible to non-members in the event you’d prefer to pattern some nice whiskies and meet different whisky followers. 

How Ought to I Retailer My Whisky? 

Retailer the bottle standing on a shelf and maintain it away from daylight at fairly cool temperatures. If you happen to’re planning on protecting a bottle for some time, and even many years, wrap the highest and neck of the bottle with parafilm to keep away from residual evaporation. 

As soon as opened, don’t really feel like it’s important to drink your bottle actually quick, it’s not going to go off anytime quickly particularly if saved adequately. 

There are lots of methods to retailer opened whiskies, and I’m certain there are a lot of followers on the market who will let you know that they’ve discovered the optimum method to retailer open whiskies., and that’s wonderful. I’m simply content material to maintain these on my cabinets in a pleasant and funky setting away from daylight.  So, take your time, open one, two three, or as many bottles as you fancy, you’ll be able to at all times return to the earlier one. And don’t neglect to share with your folks, it’ll maintain your cabinets tidier! 

What Are The Totally different Varieties of Casks Used For Single Cask Whisky? 

Any cask that’s legally allowed within the manufacturing of scotch whisky might find yourself as a single cask if the situations are proper and the standard is there. For a really very long time, the American oak bourbon cask has dominated the panorama of single cask whiskies, and whiskies usually. It was once fairly reasonably priced, reliable, and nice high quality wooden offering vanilla, coconut, and honeyed flavors. 

However lately the steadiness has began to shift once more in the direction of wine and significantly sherry casks. Since 2015, the Society has spared no effort sourcing the absolute best sherry casks, however since 2019 it has additionally taken a proactive strategy to commissioning casks coopered to our requirements and used for sherry manufacturing in implausible sherry bodegas earlier than being despatched again to us for our whiskies to mature in contemporary sherry casks. 

Whereas we’ve to date predominantly launched extra-matured whiskies from these casks. There are additionally quite a few whiskies matured in such casks which have began coming by way of and can proceed to take action for the foreseeable future. 

How Does The Cask Affect The Taste Of Whisky? 

Many attempt to quantify how a lot of the flavour comes from the cask and the way a lot from the spirit, however in my books, attempting to place numbers on this can be a idiot’s errand. All of it is determined by the qualities of a spirit and on the person cask. 

A heavy, oily, and peated distillate will simply beat most casks into submission, whereas some lighter floral and un-peated whiskies may discover steadiness when married to a second-fill or re-fill cask over an extended time. Even some un-peated distillates from locations like SMWS distillery No. 44 would simply overpower some fairly energetic sherry casks. 

The primary factor when contemplating casks is high quality. We make sure that we’ve the best attainable high quality of casks by working with choose cooperages within the UK, Spain, France, the USA in addition to sherry bodegas, engaged on our personal cask seasoning programme in addition to creating casks that aren’t a lot seasoned as used to create actual, high-quality sherry. 

What Is The Distinction Between An Impartial Bottling & A Distillery Bottling Of A Single Cask Whisky?

In case you are evaluating like for like, single cask to single cask, then I’d say little or no. It simply is determined by how an unbiased bottler selects their inventory for bottling. Is the unbiased bottling put into glass as a result of it was good or simply as a result of it was there to be bottled? A distiller has hundreds of casks of their very own makes to select from, so you could possibly assume that they’ve the higher hand, however sampling hundreds of casks just isn’t sensible, and it takes some time. 

So, whereas distillers actually have numbers on their aspect, they’re possible on the lookout for whiskies that epitomize their imaginative and prescient of their distillery character whether or not they go for a typical sort of cask or go a bit extra experimental. This can be a good factor. 

For us, buying casks is a lifelong problem and important to our future. So, no matter we will we goal at casting every whisky in the absolute best gentle. We do this by placing high quality first and expressing that high quality in as vast an array of ages and flavors as attainable. 

In lots of instances we attempt to discover cask varieties not historically seen for a make or we get extra experimental, leaving the realm of single casks. One other instance of enjoyable issues we do with whiskies is combining two casks, typically related, typically very totally different, into one single malt expression, or splitting a big cask into two totally different smaller ones, taking each halves in numerous taste instructions totally. 

To develop into a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, go to www.smws.com or www.smwsa.com if you’re within the USA