If you’re new to whisky, you may be wondering what the best way to taste and evaluate a the fine products. All whiskies are defined by their distillery, age, and style. A whisky will spend a varying amount of time in each of these casks depending on the expression and distiller’s preferences. Cask Type is an element of style.
The seven main cask types are:
WOOD FINISH
Common Cask Name: Barrel
Wood: Virgin American oak, Irish oak, Japanese oak, etc.
Volume: Usually 200 – 500 liters, though quarter casks are 80 liters
Comes from: Country of origin
Typical flavors: Spice, vanilla, sweet oak
Get tasting: Midleton Dair Ghaelach, Octomore 7.4, Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask.
WINE FINISH
Common Cask Name: Barrel or barrique
Wood: Typically French oak
Volume: Up to 220 liters
Comes from: Local to each wine region, e.g., Bordeaux, France
Typical flavors: The taste of different wines varies, depending on their origin. Sauternes has notes of fresh bread, tart lemon, and crème caramel. Bordeaux gives red berries and cherries.
Get tasting: Glenmorangie Quarter Century, Glenfiddich Age of Discovery 19-year-old Red Wine Cask Finish, Glenmorangie Pride 1981
PORT FINISH
Common Cask Name: Pipe or barrique
Wood: Usually French oak
Volume: Up to 600 liters for a port pipe, up to 220 liters for a port barrique
Comes from: Portugal
Typical flavors: Berry fruits, red currant, sultana
Get tasting: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, Angel’s Envy Port Barrel Finish, Laphroaig Brodir, Balvenie Portwood, 21-year-old.
SHERRY FINISH
Common Cask Name: Butt or puncheon
Types: Pedro Ximénez, oloroso, amontillado, fino, manzanilla, etc.
Wood: European or American oak
Volume: Up to 500 liters
Comes from: Jerez, Spain
Typical flavors: Dates, walnut, sultana
Get tasting: Balvenie DoubleWood, Lagavulin Distillers Edition, Glenmorangie Lasanta.
MADEIRA FINISH
Common Cask Name: Drum
Wood: Portuguese oak
Volume: Up to 650 liters
Comes from: Portugal
Typical flavors: Sweet fruits, figs, spice,
Get tasting: Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016, Tyrconnell 10-year-old Madeira Cask Finish.
RUM FINISH
Common Cask Name: Puncheon
Wood: American oak
Volume: Up to 500 liters
Comes from: Caribbean
Typical flavors: Molasses, vanilla, tropical fruits
Get tasting: Balvenie Caribbean Cask, Teeling Small Batch Rum Cask Finish, Angel’s Envy Rum Cask Finish
BEER FINISH
Common Cask Name: Barrel
Wood: American oak
Volume: Up to 200 liters
Comes from: Usually a local brewery
Typical flavors: Sweetness, malt, creamy
Get tasting: Glenfiddich IPA Experiment, Jameson Caskmates, Mackmyra Vinterrök.
No matter what type of whisky you’re buying, do some research on the cask types. Each one lends its unique character to the whisky it ages (assuming they were used so that they add positive attributes to the spirit—some casks are also known for adding negative characteristics). The different interactions between the spirit and the wood can also cause considerably different changes in color, flavor, and other factors.