About Single Casks
Scotch whisky is matured in a wide variety of oak casks, with each cask having its own unique personality. From classic hogshead casks to the highly praised sherry butt, every whisky barrel tells a story. But with so many different cask types available, navigating single cask whisky can feel bewildering.
So in this expert guide we will give you the answers you need. You will discover what is a single cask whisky, and also what casks are used for whisky. But before we look at single cask whiskies, here’s your quick guide to the different types of scotch whisky.
What are the five types of whisky?
Most people will be familiar with the terms single malt scotch whisky and blended scotch whisky, but do you know the difference between them? Plus, what are the other types of scotch whisky?
The word ‘single’ in the title means that all of the whisky must be produced from just a single distillery. The whisky cannot be made from any cereals other than malted barley (hence the name ‘malt whisky’), with the only other ingredients being water and yeast.
Single malt scotch whisky can be a combination of many different casks, as long 100% of the whisky was distilled at the same distillery.
When the malt whisky from more than one distillery is combined together, the word ‘single’ is replaced with ‘blended’, creating the category blended malt scotch whisky.
Not to be confused with blended scotch whisky, all of the whisky must be malt whisky i.e. made entirely from malted barley.
This type of scotch whisky can also only be the production of a single distillery.
However, whereas single malt scotch whisky can only be produced from malted barley, single grain whisky can be produced from a variety of grains such as wheat, rye, and corn (maize), which do not need to go through the process of malting.
If the grain whiskies from several different distilleries are combined this will be called a blended grain scotch whisky. Grain distilleries use a different method of distillation to single malt distilleries.
They can produce spirit faster and continuously whereas single malt scotch whisky is made in batches in copper pot stills.
When one or more single malt whiskies are combined with one or more single grain whiskies it is called a blended scotch whisky.
Around 73% of all scotch whisky exports are blended scotch whiskies, making it the most popular style of scotch whisky by some margin. A whisky blender will carefully select the different whiskies for a blended scotch whisky to create their desired balance of flavours.
What is a single cask whisky?
All scotch whisky begins life as a single cask whisky. By law, scotch must be matured in an oak cask not exceeding 700 litres for a minimum of three years. The vast majority of single malt scotch whisky will be a combination of many casks from the same distillery.
Much more will be blended with grain scotch whisky to create blended scotch. Some casks, however, will not be combined with any of casks and bottled as single cask whisky.
Because whisky casks are made from a natural resource, oak, each one will have a unique character and will give the whisky within it an unrepeatable personality. Even two identical casks from the same distillery can taste quite different from one another once mature.
Due to the fact that single cask whiskies come only from individual casks, they offer the most authentic and thrilling opportunities to taste scotch whisky in its natural state. Because whisky casks have a limited capacity, each single cask whisky will produce a limited number of bottles.
For example, a standard hogshead barrel is 250 litres so can only fill a few hundred bottles. At The Single Cask we do not even dilute the whisky prior to bottling. Each of our releases will be at their natural ‘cask strength’.
Here’s what we love most about single cask whiskies:
- Each whisky cask will never be repeated, they are a single snapshot in time like vintage Champagne or port.
- The character of single cask whiskies can be quite different to other whiskies from that same distillery, creating an exciting opportunity to discover a one-of-a-kind whisky.
- It’s impossible to predict exactly how a whisky will taste after it has matured in an oak cask for five years, ten years, or longer. The excitement of discovering casks that are true gems is what drives us to continually search for more exceptional casks.
What casks are used for whisky?
Scotch whisky must be matured in oak casks, most commonly being made of either American oak or European oak species. The casks will have normally contained another liquid prior to being filled with scotch whisky, but a few scotch whiskies will be matured in new unused casks called ‘virgin oak casks’.
The previous liquid in the cask will subtly alter the chemical composition of the wood, changing how it will interact with the scotch whisky. Some of that previous liquid will also have soaked into the wood, further influencing the character of the scotch.
The most common casks are 200 litre barrels that previously matured bourbon whisky, which are often increased in size to 250 litre hogshead casks for scotch whisky. Larger 480 litre casks called butts are famous for having previously matured sherry wine from Spain, but you may also come across quarter casks which are only around 120 litres.
Each cask will be used many different times for maturing scotch whisky. A ‘first fill cask’ is the name given to a cask that has been filled with scotch whisky for the first time. A ‘second fill cask’ has been used to mature scotch whisky once before. A ‘refill cask’ has been used to mature scotch whisky three times or more.
Here are the most common casks that are used to mature scotch whisky:
Ex-Bourbon Cask Whisky
Made from American oak, these casks commonly contribute vanilla, coconut, and buttery characters to the whisky. Over 90% of all scotch whisky is matured in these types of casks.
Sherry Cask Whisky
Sherry casks are made from either American or European oak. The main types of sherry used are Oloroso, which has dry and nutty character, and Pedro Ximénez, which is very sweet with dried fruit flavours. Whisky in sherry casks is therefore often very spicy and rich.
Wine Cask Whisky
These casks can be made from American or European oak. The casks may previously have contained red wine, white wine, or even dessert wine. Whisky maturation in these casks will often present curious flavours, from cherries to fresh fruits and herbs.
Rum Cask Whisky
Whisky in rum casks will take typical coconut flavours from American oak. The casks can vary in size but often create additional spicy and rich notes in whisky.
Port Cask Whisky
Port casks also are made from either American or European oak. Port cask matured whisky is a popular choice for its bold, rich, and fruity characters, lending itself well to distilleries that produce a robust spirit.
Madeira Cask Whisky
These casks are less common but often produce fascinating whiskies. Like port casks, they deliver a lot of richness, but they are also known for their complex nutty flavours.
Explore the Single Cask Range
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Take a look at our shop to see the latest whiskies we have available. As with all single cask whiskies they will not be around forever. It’s all part of the charm and excitement of sharing a little piece of magic in each bottle.