The thing about the casks

In 2019, the SWA (Scotch Whisky Association) altered the rules and regulations about which casks are allowed to be used for the maturation of whisky. Two years on, maybe it’s time to see where we are today.

‘Finished in Xynisteri white and dry wine casks’. That’s what it said on the label of a recently released indy Caol Ila I just bought. Now, I’m not going to lie to you, I had to look up Xynisteri. Turns out it’s the main indigenous white grape variety on Cyprus. It’s used in combination with another variety to create a popular dessert wine (every day is a school day, after all). This got me thinking: why would an independent bottler, and a highly regarded one at that, go through lengths to find a wine barrel from Cyprus to mature or finish a whisky in? Is there really that much added value and quality to be found in opting for that specific cask, or were they just aiming for the exposure and novelty factor here? At first glance, the latter seems unlikely – after all, why would a bottler of a certain esteem risk their good reputation on a rather obscure winecask, unless they were confident it would live up to the challenge?

Taking your whisky and putting it in an exotic/unusual cask for a number of months or years seems to be quite the trend recently, not in the least due to the fact that the SWA have loosened the regulations about which casktypes may and may not be used for maturing your whisky, and it also seems that it is mainly independent bottlers who are taking the opportunity to push the envelope on this one.

So taking a step back and trying to see the bigger picture here, it dawned on me quite quickly that there are a number of factors playing their part all at once, to a certain degree influencing and interacting with each other: things like the novelty factor, marketing and exposure, but also less economy driven elements like the need for and possibility of experimentation, exploration and innovation, and the most important of all (hopefully): quality enhancement. Here’s an attempt to unravel some of the whirl of wires connected to and intertwined with the ‘new’ regulations regarding cask maturation.

Yes, it seems that the SWA, guardian and protector of the realm of scotch whisky, tends to lean towards a traditional and careful (not to use the word conservative here) stance when it comes to the ‘can I play, mommy’ mind-set of the more creative and endeavouring blenders, warehouse managers and bottlers. And while keeping an eye on things is without a doubt a commendable thing to do, especially when it‘s done to protect the quality of a product, at times it also seems like the SWA needs to be dragged into the 21st century kicking and screaming. (They are OK with companies adding fake colour to a product – something which has zero to do with the intrinsic quality of a whisky, yet when some pesky American tries to improve the quality of his whisky by adding oak staves into the barrel, rest assured that same institution will come down on him, and come down on him hard.)

And while Scotland’s next door neighbours the Irish, themselves not entirely unfamiliar with the concept of whisk(e)y making, are very much OK with distilleries using all sorts of casks - even using other wood apart from oak, the powers that be in the world of Scotch whisky, it seems, only every so often and almost grudgingly, loosen the reins. Most recently in 2019 when the use of, e.g., mezcal and calvados casks were given a green light. Basically, if you are a Scotch whisky producer, broker or bottler, you now can mature your whisky in any type of oak casks, as long as the previous liquid wasn’t any of the following:

· wine, beer/ale or spirits produced from, or made with, stone fruits

· beer/ale to which fruit, flavouring or sweetening has been added after fermentation

· spirits to which fruit, flavouring or sweetening has been added after distillation

As mentioned, it comes as little surprise that these new regulations were first and foremost embraced by independent bottlers and brokers alike – in fact some brokers are now even specialising in offering their customers unconventional casks, and the reason is obvious: not ‘burdened’ by the need for consistency, something you tend to see with official releases, indies have much to gain releasing some of these more off the wall whiskies. For starters, it can help them getting noticed, especially the smaller or newer players out there. With traditional casks, and sherry casks to be specific, becoming more and more expensive, the new possibilities coming from the SWA’s 2019 regulations can help independent bottlers not only to find (cheaper) alternatives, but also to regain some of their unique selling propositions. With indies no longer being automatically the cheaper alternative for official releases (partly due to the frankly insane prices for good quality sherry casks), and with more and more distilleries tapping into independent bottler territory by embracing the idea of single cask and cask strength releases, having the possibility to release whiskies that have been matured or finished in all these ‘new’ casktypes, can help them standout in the crowd – at least for a while.

And examples of the past show that an off the wall whisky release will have people take notice. Of course, there are the more extreme ones out there, like the German ‘fishky’, where a 14 yo Bruichladdich was finished for 3 months in a herring cask, or George Dickel’s Tabasco cask finished whisky. While it probably makes for a good laugh and helps getting your company some exposure, it’s easy to see why these are one offs.

But what about those less crazy casks? The mezcals, the grappas, the mead, and yes, the Cypriote wine casks? Are they also a gimmick, something that’s trendy and fashionable as we speak, but will eventually vanish into oblivion; or are they here to stay? To help shine a light on one or two things and get some insights from people who actually know what’s what when it comes to casks, I asked the same 3 questions to a broker/indie bottler, a retailer, a craft distiller and a master blender:

What's their stance on the current fashion to mature/finish whiskies in less traditional or even unusual /exotic casktypes? Do they see merit in them apart from the novelty factor and exposure opportunities? And are these casks here for the long run?

Turns out, what seemed like pretty straightforward questions can lead to very different, nuanced and downright complicated answers!

Kenny MacDonald (broker and independent bottler, Dràm Mòr) is a clear advocate of the new possibilities:

“I have to admit that I am a fan of experimenting with different casks but only if done properly. Some of these casks can very quickly overpower a spirit, so it’s important to monitor the casks closely with sampling from as short a time as three months onwards…”

It’s the customer who’ll be rewarded, he continues: “All of this just allows for a broader range of flavours to be presented to whisky enthusiasts. There will always be a foundation of bourbon and sherry casks in our industry, but the opportunity to play a little is always a good thing when done well.”

This seems to get a nod of approval from Roddy Graham, who works for The Good Spirits Company in Glasgow, and has a broad knowledge of - and interest in not only whisky but spirits, wine and champagne in general: “I think it's a good thing. Scotch whisky is, to quote the t-shirt, "Barley & Yeast & Water & Oak". Whilst I certainly don't agree with those who say that oak is 60%, 70%, 80%, or whatever percentage of the flavour of a whisky, it is definitely true that the barrel is important. If a wider range of barrel types is used, then we can expect a wider range of flavours in whisky. And that makes for more interesting drinking.”

If allowed, both would happily take it a step further even. “The one thing I would like to see is the SWA relaxing a little to allow us in Scotland the same choice as our Irish cousins when it comes to using different wood such as sweet chestnut instead of always having to use oak.”, Kenny adds. Roddy chips in, saying “I drink whisky for the flavour, so the wider the range of flavours, the happier I am. To take an example from Brazil, cachaça producers use all kinds of woods and the array of flavours they achieve makes me wish we could do the same here in Scotland. As mentioned above regarding the use of chestnut - I've tasted malt spirit that's been matured in chestnut casks+ and I think it's a damn shame it's not allowed for Scotch.”

Roddy furthermore neatly points out that we must be careful in just assuming bourbon and sherry casks are the go to ‘traditional’ types used in the industry. “Remember that until 1989 the requirement for casks to be oak was not written into the law, so to my mind the word "traditional" is being rather misused by the SWA. I'm fairly sure that when the law was introduced during the first World War which required whisky to be aged for two years, there would have been a mad scramble to buy up any and all barrels, perhaps even including the apocryphal herring barrel. In other words, distillers would have used whatever was to hand. It's documented that distillers had a preference for sherry barrels from an early stage of the industry, but "having a preference" isn't the same as "established tradition”. I've been told by someone who worked at Highland Park and had seen the records that until the 1950s some of their malt was filled into chestnut wood. If the 1950s isn't traditional, then what is?”

Whether the new casks are here for the long run, Roddy certainly hopes they are, if only for the matter of cask supply. “If distillers are less dependent on the bourbon & sherry producers, maybe the price of barrels will settle down? In a perfect world, cheaper barrels might perhaps lead to cheaper whisky? But in the end, what it comes down to, will purely be a matter of cask availability versus demand. So for as long as the current whisky boom continues we'll see more and more 'experimentals', but once the next bust comes around the industry will revert to type.”

Quite a different view comes from Anthony Dillon, a.k.a. Tony ‘Pancakes’, the founder, distiller and blender of the newly (April 2021) founded Spirit of Birmingham Distillery, who have just filled their first casks a few weeks back. His thoughts are quite refreshing, not to say surprising. He feels strongly that when it comes to cask policy, there would need to be added value to not only the product he is creating , but to the business model and the local community as well.

“On one hand, I understand the historical precedent for certain cask use and how they have endured the decades. It was usually based on price and availability. However, I don't think sherry casks have any place in a modern whisky. They are expensive and it’s hard to get good ones.”[1]

So, if not the old traditional sherry casks, a craft distillery like Spirit of Birmingham would surely be eager to explore and exploit the different cask possibilities (and yes, I am aware that a Birmingham distillery doesn’t fall under Scottish regulations, but, if anything, that makes his point of view equally if not more valid and interesting)? So, bring on those Mongolian mead casks then?

“I try to keep an open mind, but Mongolian mead means nothing to a craft distiller in Birmingham”, Tony continues. “I need something that ignites my enthusiasm for deeper reasons than "going cheap" or “exotic”. I have to be behind the product 100%, not just running with it because it came across the table or seems fashionable. If it was a local brewery making mead, and they were selling me the cask, my answer might be different. We crafties love a collaboration, after all.”

Isn’t that a conservative take on things, especially for a craft distillery? Tony disagrees. “At Spirit of Birmingham, we are proud to be using virgin oak, from local forestry, in conjunction with ex-bourbon casks from Buffalo Trace, which are readily available and of good quality. I have tried to strip the decision back to basics. I love innovation but the cynical side of me wonders whether some producers might be trying to "flavour" their spirit with a loophole. I'm not a fan of finishes. Consumers are craving innovation and this is a quick, cheap and easy way to stand out.”

Add to that, Roddy Graham says, that their might be a flip side to the whole thing as well: “In as much as lots of distilleries and indie bottlers are experimenting right now, I think very few of them can afford to not release the results of their experiments. So while we're seeing many excellent drams in less traditional casks, we are also seeing things which are downright weird.”

So, if you ever needed proof there are two sides to a coin, this might well be it.

But how does a master blender feel about things? Who better to ask than Michael Henry from Loch Lomond group? They are, within the rather strict regulations regarding scotch whisky, arguably one of the most innovative and creative distilleries out there with Loch Lomond using (and combining) 3 different styles of stills: the traditional pot stills, the column stills and their ‘straight neck stills’ (pot stills with a column still mounted on top).

“The opening of the regulations has given distillers and independent bottlers more choice to try different finishes and explore the flavour potential of new types of cask like tequila. It is early days yet for this but it really comes down to how the specific flavours of the cask compliment the spirit.”

Essentially, it all comes down to the character of the previous spirit, Michael continues: “The cask itself needs to impart a recognisable flavour to the spirit and do this in a way that positively enhances the original character. If a certain type of cask does this, then it is a positive outcome for both the producer and the whisky drinker.”

Equally important, this is a serious case of ‘just because you can, doesn’t mean you should’, he argues. “Some of the finishes have been gimmicky like the herring cask and recently the “tonic wine” cask. Given the association tonic wine has with alcoholism in Scotland, I think getting exposure needs to be balanced with any possible connections that might have and, while interesting to do, this has little value in developing the quality of the spirit.”

When asked what the future will hold once the hype of the moment has gone quiet, he says “My view would be that cask finishing has been around for some time now in Scotch whisky and it is the drive from whisky drinkers to experience something new that is driving producers to look for less conventional casks. There was already huge scope for this before 2019 so in that way the changes in regulations are not that significant. Producers are building up more knowledge of how certain types of cask work with their spirit and are exploring more specific types of cask that were already permitted. If we take red wine as an example we now have French, Spanish, Italian, Australian and more countries before we even go into grape varieties. For new oak casks again we have not only oak from different countries but regions within countries and then the treatment of the oak like the toast level. All this was already allowed and I think there is more potential here for producers to match specific flavours from new types of cask to their spirit.”

So, the ‘impact’ of the new regulations are not to be exaggerated, then?

“In terms of the regulations and where they stand, I am happy with them. I think they strike a good balance between allowing for innovation and maintaining the character of Scotch Whisky. There is huge flavour potential within the regulations for different cereals, malt levels, yeast strains, fermentation conditions, distillation regimes before we even get to the cask. It does however require more commitment from the distiller as it is spirit development, so it needs to mature over a longer timescale where cask finishing can be done relatively quickly.”

As was to be expected, depending on who you ask, you’ll likely get a different answer. And of course, all of the people I turned to for insight on the matter are making very good points (and I really want to express my grattitude and apprecation towards them for taking the time to answer my questions). And perhaps that’s the beauty of it: having different thoughts and ideas across the board. It seems it’s the best guarantee we have that there will be a wide variety of types and flavours available, today but also tomorrow and 10, 20 years down the line. Just a few final thoughts to wrap things up though.

There’s a whole new wave of people starting in the industry. Seeing to what extend they’re willing to stray from the beaten track will likely help determine the future of our beloved (scotch) whisky. After all, some of the new kids in town of today, will become the established players of tomorrow, the people making the rules. The fact that a lot of the new players are embracing the idea of interaction between distillery and customer, helps take down old barriers. Long gone are the days of communication and marketing being a one way street. If a producer, bottler or distillery is trying to sell us a bogus fairy-tale or downright bullshit story, they will be called out for it.

As so eloquently pointed out by the people I talked to, the economic factor is – as always - to be a decisive one, for multiple reasons. Cask supply and cask demand will obviously help determine which of the newly opened possibilities will be embraced by producers and drinkers alike, but there’s also the new markets that are tapping into whisky on an almost daily basis. New markets also means new production areas and new methods. To a certain degree the scotch industry will need to take these ‘external’ influences into consideration. Scotland might very well still be the one to set the bar, but whether that will last will likely also depend on how the Scotch whisky industry responds to some of the challenges, not only from within, but also from outside. Ultrasonic maturation, bringing in new wood types and grain varieties, trying out new ways of distilling… they may seem gimmicky now, but rest assured that some of those pioneering minds out there, those who are not about cutting corners left and right, but who are genuinely trying to improve the intrinsic quality of whiskymaking, will have their Eureka moments, which will eventually lead to new insights and improved methods of doing things.

In any case, it’s clear that casks play a key part when it comes to the flavour profile of our beloved whisky and while the jury might still be out on the question where the new regulations will lead us, it’s safe to say things are looking interesting for the future.

[1] This might come as a bit of a shock to some. The use of sherry casks for maturing whisky is so deeply imbedded, it almost seems sacrilege to throw them overboard. However, when you give this a second thought, it doesn’t seem so crazy. The link between sherry casks and scotch whisky is a historic one, going back to the early days of scotch whisky. With the UK being the number one abroad sherry market for centuries, literally entire shiploads of the fortified wine were brought over in casks, to then be bottled in the UK. As it didn’t make any economic sense sending empty casks back to Spain, distilleries were all too keen to almost literally pick them off from the docks to put to further use in their warehouses. This was the going practice for almost 2 centuries, but all of that changed in the 1980’ies when Spanish legislation made it mandatory that sherry be bottled in Spain, leaving Scotch distilleries scratching their heads. To overcome the issue, casks have since been ‘seasoned’ in Spain with sherry for any amount of time, to then dump the liquid into the next vessel or back into the solera casks and have the empty casks (often dissembled) send on their way to Scotland. With the ever expanding whiskyboom, not just in Scotland, but all over the world, the demand for quality sherry casks in the whisky industry has led to a huge inflation of prices, and one could rightfully argue that a contemporary sherry cask isn’t in fact a true sherry cask at all. The solution to the problem of not having ‘genuine’ sherry casks to your disposal, has created an entire side industry, where casks are being especially made and specifically used not as maturation or transport vessels, but to ‘mimic’ what once was. Playing the devil’s advocate here, obviously.