Just lately, I used to be fortunate sufficient to go to one in every of Scotland’s oldest working distilleries, the Annandale Distillery, within the attractive Scottish Lowlands.
The distillery, which was based again in 1836, produces distinctive malts, each peated and unpeated. I just lately reviewed a number of drams from their Man O’Phrases and Man O’Sword vary. In the event you’ve not but, be sure to try each the weblog, and the whisky, as I’m positive you’ll take pleasure in each in equal measure.
Whereas there, as all the time, I took a fast stroll via the woodland subsequent to the distillery and admired their massively spectacular number of ‘moist casks’ stacked up neatly within the woods. After I talked about this to a good friend a short time later, he checked out me puzzled, and requested ‘what’s a moist cask?’
I typically neglect that not everyone is self-proclaimed whisky guru, and infrequently the terminology is misplaced on some individuals. So, in the present day, I believed I’d clear up the thriller and have a look at moist casks in whisky making, why they’re necessary, and what they’re all about.
What are Moist Casks?
In the event you ever get chatting to any individual working within the whisky biz, it’s possible you’ll hear them speaking about moist casks. That’s all properly and good should you’re a whisky skilled, however what should you’re only a informal single malt drinker, slowly discovering the improbable world of Scotch? Effectively, that’s the place the GreatDrams weblog is available in so helpful.
Not solely do I need to promote you superb whisky for much more superb costs (shameless plug alert) however I additionally need to aid you be taught as a lot about this superb spirit as doable. Whisky is a lot greater than only a drink. For me, and lots of others, it’s a whole world and what’s much more thrilling is the truth that I hold discovering brand-new issues about it, together with the several types of casks utilized in its manufacturing.
So, is a moist cask merely an outdated whisky barrel that’s been left to soak within the UK rain for months on finish? Completely not! That will be a travesty. No, as an alternative, moist casks are rather more than that.
Put very merely, a moist cask on this context is one which has just lately held a unique liquid akin to wine, sherry, port, bourbon, or something comparable. In some instances, the moist casks might actually have a few dregs of liquid left in them, which shortly evaporates earlier than the whisky is transferred into them.
These barrels are sourced from numerous distilleries, vineyards, and different comparable companies and after a security inspection, together with the contents, they’ll then be offered to different distilleries, unbiased bottlers, and different artistic people.
As soon as sourced, the suppliers will examine a number of casks from every batch, and check for water tightness and any indicators of leakage. They’ll additionally examine the casks themselves, to ensure they’re in good situation and freed from any indicators of harm, mould, or different nastiness that you simply wouldn’t need anyplace close to your whisky.
Any liquid inside may even be examined, as samples will probably be taken and examined to make sure that it’s what it’s imagined to be and that it’s protected. If a shopper had particularly requested pink wine casks, they’d be aggravated in the event that they had been really equipped with sherry casks as an alternative. As soon as the pattern passes the mandatory security checks and inspections, the casks are then able to be offered on.
As for the barrels that don’t make the lower, properly, they don’t go to waste both. They are often offered for use as furnishings and even damaged down into wooden chunks for smoking meals. As I’ve just lately turned 40, I’ve naturally achieved what all males my age do, and have began to dabble in smoking my very own meat and fish. I’ve to say that cold-smoked salmon, smoked with chunks of outdated whisky barrels is phenomenal.
See? Nothing will get wasted and we’re all about sustainability right here at GreatDrams.
Why Are Moist Casks Necessary?
As you most likely know, the vast majority of a whisky’s nostril, flavour, look, and basic character is taken on throughout its maturation interval. Legally, Scotch whisky needs to be aged in an appropriate barrel for a minimum of three years earlier than it may be offered as Scotch.
The vast majority of Scotch distilled over right here is first aged in ex-bourbon casks. It might then be transferred into a unique cask to tackle totally different notes and flavours. Bourbon casks are used firstly, primarily resulting from the truth that they’re extra inexpensive and plentiful, as American distilleries can solely use them as soon as for authorized causes. As soon as they’ve been used to supply bourbon, they’re then offered in bulk, at a reduction to distilleries everywhere in the world.
As these casks have beforehand held bourbon, they assist to impart candy caramel bourbon and oaky vanilla notes into the Scotch. If you wish to produce a so-called sherry bomb whisky nevertheless (a whisky with sturdy sherry notes) you’d nearly actually age it in a moist cask which had just lately held sherry. Often, Pedro Ximenez (PX) or Oloroso sherry casks are used within the whisky business, although others might also be used.
Put merely, should you age a whisky in a moist cask, likelihood is that the whisky will tackle a number of the notes, flavours, and traits of the liquid the cask beforehand held, together with loads of others. That is down the truth that the vast majority of casks utilized in whisky maturation are created from oak, which could be very porous. Oak doesn’t solely take in and take in a number of the liquid saved inside, however it is going to additionally assist to impart these notes and flavours into the whisky as soon as it goes inside.
The wonderful thing about that is that, not solely does it assist give the whisky a tremendous flavour, however because the oak swells, it additionally helps hold the barrels watertight.
If the casks had been dry – both brand-new, or so-old that all the beforehand saved liquid has fully evaporated, the whisky would battle to tackle any flavours, aside from from the wooden itself. Now, I hold mentioning outdated oak knowledge, and the way necessary oak is in whisky maturation, so please don’t suppose that dry casks don’t have their place on this planet of Scotch, as a result of they most actually do. Any whisky aged in dry casks, nevertheless, will seemingly take longer to tackle extra color and flavour, and may have extra distinguished oak notes to it. That is no dangerous factor as there are many distinctive drams on the market that are particularly heavy on the oak.
So, that, my pals, is why moist casks are so necessary in whisky manufacturing, and it’s one of many most important the reason why I used to be drawn to them whereas at Annandale final month.
In the event you’d wish to be taught extra about your favorite whiskies, or just deal with your self to a dram or two within the course of, be sure you head on over to GreatDrams.com and check out what we now have to supply.
With a powerful number of limited-edition, uncommon, and award-winning whisky, in addition to heaps of whisky data on our weblog, it’s the right spot for any whisky lovers on the market.
