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Tuesday 24 September 2024

GLENMORANGIE NECTAR SENSATION

GLENMORANGIE NECTAR 16 YO SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY 

History Of Glenmorangie Distillery

Glenmorangie has a fascinating backstory, with ties to Celtic lore, ancient kingdoms, and local community. The Glenmorangie logo was inspired by the mysterious and ancient Cadboll Stone. In the eighth century, a kingdom of tribes known as the Picts ruled Scotland’s north-east, including the peninsula that would become home to Glenmorangie. The Romans gave the Picts their name, inspired by their custom of painting scenes from the landscape around them onto their bodies.

One of the best surviving testaments to the Picts is the Hilton of Cadboll stone, into which they carved their story. Discovered centuries later, it has since been restored and now resides in the National Museum of Scotland. The swirls of the Glenmorangie logo are inspired by the intricate carvings of the Stone, in tribute to the Picts who first cultivated the golden barley fields that Glenmorangie harvests today to create their distinctive single malt whiskies.

The portion of the Cadboll Stone from which the Glenmorangie logo comes

Situated next to the Dornoch Firth in a series of handsome red sandstone buildings, the Glenmorangie distillery started life as the local brewery for the town of Tain in 1730, having produced other alcohol since 1703, in all probability, illegal hooch. It belonged to the reputable Matheson family, who would have eschewed illegal stuff in favour of beer, explaining the choice of a brewery drawing its water from the small stream known as Morangie Burn. While the earliest evidence of beer brewing in Scotland dates to the Neolithic period, brewing in this period was a relatively small scale, local operation, simply a part of community activity.

Distillation was legalised in 1823 and the eldest Matheson scion, William, went to Elgin in Moray, Speyside to observe and study distillation. In 1843, twenty years after learning the intricacies of distilling, William Matheson bought a tract of land adjacent to Tarlogie Springs and built a distillery there, a stone's throw away from the brewery, with a licence to distill. He must have also obtained a licence to sell, though no specific mention is made thereof. The brewery was closed down in stages. Starting with a single pot still, it took six more years for the first new make to trickle out of Glenmorangie. The second pot still was installed and made operational anon and the distillery remained in the family until 1887.

Matheson set himself apart to put history in motion by creating a single malt at a time when others were focussed on blends. The complex whisky he created was inspired by the distillery’s peaceful surroundings on the banks of the Dornoch Firth. But buyers of whisky would select their brands from their preferred grocer, rather than from a producer. The grocer held the purse-strings and could and did blend Matheson’s malt whisky. His single malt floundered. Sales weren’t too brisk so the distillery was sold to the Maitland brothers and Duncan Cameron. The common Morangie component of all these names comes from the Morangie Burn mentioned supra, though it draws its water from a mineral- water source, the Tarlogie Springs, making this one of a small number of hard water sites in Scotland.

The new owners saw immediately that the design of the stills, which were short and squat, left a lot to be desired, attributing the low sales volume to inferior quality product. They brought the Taylor family from the adjoining village into their fold. Taylor owned a gin mill a couple of miles away from and the trio decided to bring the tops of their gin stills up to Tain and add them to the short still necks, while the bodies were sold off. Such was the origin of the tallest neck stills in Scotland.

Reputed welders did a good job of amalgamating the necks. The slight bulges that protruded at the joint were also visible from inside the necks and were retained. In fact, all newer stills made thereafter, till today, retain all bulges/dents and inner scorch/joint marks and slight reduction (less than half of one inch) in diameter. But then they ran into an unexpected problem-the roof was too low to accommodate the new stills. Holes were punched in the roof allowing the necks to stick out into the open, but this was detrimental according to professional consultants, who strongly advised proper protection against the vagaries of weather. Accordingly, the roof was rebuilt at a greater height and a suitable condensation chamber created. The distillery did not remain cost-effective and was soon to go to market.

The business was sold to a partnership between two blending and broking firms, Macdonald & Muir and Durham & Co, soon passing entirely to the former, which used the whiskies for single malts, blended malts and blended Scotch. These products were very successful and the owners found they couldn’t ramp up output due shortage of maltings. The company’s principal brand of blended whisky was named Highland Queen, marking the historic association between the port of Leith where Macdonald & Muir was based, and Mary Queen of Scots, who landed there from France in 1561. In 1896, the Muir family had built a Brewery at Elgin’s boundaries (where the burgh’s gallows once stood), taking its water and power from the fast-flowing River Lossie alongside on the westernmost slopes of the Speyside hills leading to the river. Ownership went to the younger Muir son, while the elder was busy with his own venture with his brewery converted to distillery Glenmorangie in the Highlands.

Following his successful brother, Muir Jr converted it to a distillery in 1898. This distillery was not as carefully crafted as its Highlands mate, flooding regularly on marshy land, but was also named Glenmorangie, a family trend. In the slow-motion era of those days, nobody realised this replication, till annual tax assessment fell due and the duplication was discovered. Muir Jr was told to change the name of his distillery. Glen Moran was not accepted as a viable alternative, leading to its final name, Glen Moray. In 1902, Glen Moray slowed down distilling operations, shutting it down by 1910. A large number of small dwellings came up between the adjoining RAF airfield and the distillery.

Glenmorangie found a solution to its low-volume problem in 1898 with the operationalisation of the new brewery turned distillery at Elgin's boundaries, probably a major factor in the initial selection of its name. Muir Jr was told to continue to produce maltings and provide them to Muir Sr. After a year-long preparation, a supply chain was established and Glen Moray became a maltings supplier to Glenmorangie. On Muir Jr's demise, the distillery was acquired by Glenmorangie, again a family decision.

Although it was bottled in small quantities from the 1920s, a change of strategy in 1959 saw Glenmorangie burgeon as a single malt that soon became Scotland’s biggest seller. Apparently the tall stills, with its kinks intact and found to be the tallest in Scotland, made a considerable difference to the subtlety, softness and enduring characteristics of the distillate. Cask quality was to prove the second factor in its popularity.


This was not the first time that this had happened, however. Records show that at the end of the 19th century Glenmorangie single malt whisky bottled at nearly 63% ABV was being sold at The Savoy and other top-end London hotels, as well as being exported. Once fully organised, Glenmorangie produced only the one single malt whisky, The Original, selling it at 10 years of age. All other brands in the earlier days, i.e., since 1890, were either precursors to or offshoots of The Original.

Early success in the single malt category resulted in two more exact replica stills being added to the original pair in 1976, a number which was doubled again in 1990. Dr Bill Lumsden joined the distillery in 1995 and brought with him unique ideas, which were to prove best-selling. He got the owners to order and purchase specific slow growth, air-seasoned Ozark Mountain oak barrels that were first used as Bourbon-whisky casks. The single malts from these barrels were extracted and transferred for two more years into ex-Oloroso Sherry casks to emerge as the Lasanta 12 YO; into Quinta Ruban Port casks to emerge as the Quinta Ruban 12 YO and into French Sauternes wine casks to emerge as the Nectar d'Or 12 YO.

In 1996 the firm changed its name to Glenmorangie. The very next year, they acquired the run-down distillery of Ardbeg on Islay from Allied Distillers for £7 million, giving them a second family of single malt whiskies with a profile radically different to that of Glenmorangie, virtually the two opposing ends of a rainbow. Surprisingly, the owners decided to leave the business in 2004 and put their holdings on sale. French luxury goods firm Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) bought the firm and all associated holdings for £300m, winning a bidding war with Pernod Ricard.

In 2009, four more stills were added, along with a larger mash tun and extra washbacks.By now, Glenmorangie had moved into overdrive, with over 15 separate expressions, increasing by two or more every year.More recently, extra warehousing has been built, the result of a decision to mature and vat all the production on-site.

2021 saw the unveiling of The Lighthouse, a new distillery made just for Glenmorangie. The exquisitely designed glass building, located on the same grounds as the original distillery, is considerably smaller and holds just two of the brand’s massive stills plus a new mash tun and washbacks. Due to its size and the sensory tasting lab that sits just above it, it’s clear that the new building is meant predominantly for experimentation and innovation rather than general production, such as the use of stainless steel condensers.

THE DISTILLERS OF TAIN

For generations, Glenmorangie has been distilled by a fiercely loyal group of local men individually selected by the Distillery Manager, and entrusted with the secrets of the craft. They are known as The Men of Tain, after the distillery’s location in beautiful Tain, Ross-shire.

The core workforce at the Distillery - the so-called ‘16 Men of Tain’ - were also long-serving and provided a wealth of whisky making experience and time-honoured skills in the early years. Today there are '24 Distillers of Tain’ led by Edward Thom, a celebrated Distillery Manager. Glenmorangie has continued to support and build strong relationships with its surrounding community, attracting many generations to craft its award winning whiskies over the years.

Inspired by their dedication, English guitarist Allan Holdsworth released an album in March 2000 titled “The Sixteen Men of Tain” to honour the skillful craftsmen at the helm of Glenmorangie.

Their Brand Mascot

As might be expected, the extremely tall stills were compared to the Giraffe, and, in short order, the Giraffe became the symbol of the Highland Distillery. But the giraffe faces threats in the wild, from habitat loss to poaching. Numbers have fallen by over 30% in just 35 years, with some populations classed as critically endangered. To play their part in helping in the conservation of the Giraffe, the distillery forged a pioneering conservation partnership in 2020, with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

Glenmorangie The Nectar d’Or 46% ABV

This dram was originally a 12 year old expression with a 46% ABV, with a slow growth, air-seasoned Ozark Mountain oak barrel 10 year bourbon maturation and a two year Sauternes finish. Sauternes is a French wine from Bordeaux. It is produced by allowing green/white grapes to almost reach a rot-like state on the vine; this treatment of the grapes allows them to become almost raisined, causing the fruit to have a high concentrate of sugar. It is sweet and often referred to as honey-like. Some call it a dessert wine; the wine can be expensive and is usually found in very old vintages.

In 2019 Glenmorangie began a transition and the Nectar d’Or became a non age statement release, still at 46% ABV. As we know, this move often allows producers to release younger whiskies quicker, and can often be a stock manipulation tactic. The length of the original maturation and Sauternes finish are now a little unclear; perhaps given a little time more information will become available. But that was put to rest by the return of the 12 YO in 2022, which expression is now dying out of the market.

Colour: Splendid bright gold.

Nose: Sauternes matured or finished whiskies tend to be heavy on the citrus notes. This has that also, perhaps leaning more toward the lemon element. There is a nice, sweet vanilla custard, perhaps on a warm sugary pie crust, a little ginger and fruity. Very sweet on sherbet and pastry notes. Buttery with white fruit and gentle clove like spice.

Palate: The custard on the nose is now poured over a steamed syrup pudding, and at the same time there is a crème brulee with demerara sugar gently toasting under the grill, silky mouth feel. Cereal notes and gentle spices are more noticeable now, sitting on a soft, dry mouth feel, adding to the experience. An amalgamation of sweet notes.

Finish: The finish also shows some spice with the oak coming forward, sharing space with the light honey. This seems much spicier than the previous version; perhaps that's due to oxidising for a year or two. But it is extremely complex, elegant and easy to drink. Would make a good introductory malt. 

Glenmorangie The Nectar 46% ABV

Dr Bill Lumsden first brought a whisky of dessert-like complexity to life in Glenmorangie The Nectar D’Or. Now, he has taken its swirls of sweet scents and spice to new heights of deliciousness, in the award-winning Glenmorangie The Nectar. Aged longer, for 16 years, in an enhanced combination of bourbon and sweet white wine casks, this new whisky is even more sumptuous and complex.

For extra depth and creaminess, silky Glenmorangie aged for 14 years in bourbon casks was selected. The whisky was then finished for two more years in a new combination of sweet white wine casks.

Sauternes and Monbazillac casks from France bring sumptuous notes of pastry, brioche, meringue and baked apples. Moscatel casks from Spain offer sweet, syrupy dessert-like notes. And Tokaji casks from Hungary, add white chocolate, almond and honeycomb flavours to their creation.

Colour: Bronze gold.

Nose: Rich and heady, almost decadent, with notes of baking brioche, leesy wine, baked apricot, vanilla pudding, toasted almond and chestnuts and hints of chocolate truffles. With water, there is a burst of candy sweetness, touches of orange syrup, a flinty minerality, and a curious, distinctive herbal top note, like sage or basil.

Palate: The texture is unctuous and sticky, but with a balancing lemon zestiness. This leads into rich, sweet flavours of vanilla crème anglaise, baked apricots, warm raisin bread, roasting chestnuts, and a mixture of spices, particularly nutmeg and star anise. The oaky backbone lasts throughout the taste, but is always balanced by sweet, fruity and spicy notes.

Finish: The finish is long and lingering, with some lemon rind, baking bread and a touch of honeycomb.

ADDENDA:

GLENMORANGIE COMPANY SOLD TO MOET HENNESY LOUIS VUITTON (LVMH)

Prelude

In August 2004, 111-year old Scotch distiller Glenmorangie confirmed perplexing media rumours that the 15 controlling members of the Macdonald family, the main shareholders were looking for a buyer for their stake, which was in excess of 61%, and that the board had instructed its financial advisor to explore the market for the company.

Glenmorangie, which overtook Glenfiddich in 2002 to become the biggest-selling malt whisky in the UK with volumes in excess of 2 million cases, was thought to worth around £300 million. Sold in over 120 countries, the brand is one of the best known in the Scotch whisky industry, as well as the number one in its home country. The group also produces/produced the Ardbeg and Glen Moray malt brands, and in smaller quantities blends like The Bailie Nicol Jarvie, James Martin’s and Highland Queen. Other creations, now discontinued, include Cecil Aldin and King’s Crest blended Scotch; Mary Queen of Scots Blended Malt Whisky, Westport Distillery expressions; Serendipity Blended Malt and the Glen Morven Catalogue, three aged single malts from Glen Moray in Speyside and one secret distillery each from Islay and the Highlands.

Westport isn’t actually a distillery, but instead a brand name under which Glenmorangie released their whisky to independent bottlers, mainly Berry Brothers and Rudd. When Glenmorangie sold casks of their whisky, they wanted to avoid direct competition. In order to achieve this they combined their whisky with that of Glen Moray so that the whisky could no longer be sold as single malt. The two world famous single malts, Glenmorangie and Glen Moray, come together beautifully. The complexity and character of Glenmorangie is complemented with the subtle delicacy of Glen Moray.

Serendipity was an accidental blended malt created by the mistaken mixing of Ardbeg and Glen Moray at Broxburn blending hall in 2005. Earlier, in 1999, a vat of Glenmorangie 21-year-old was accidently mixed with a smaller amount of another whisky. The blended malt, 80% Glenmorangie, was subsequently released as 80:20 by the company’s Douglas McNiven & Co. subsidiary and sold out immediately, retiring into the archives. As for potential buyers, it was surmised that the sheer size of the company ruled out a number of leading drinks groups such as Diageo or Pernod Ricard, whose own Scotch whisky businesses (which included malt brands such as Laphroaig and The Glenlivet, respectively) were large enough to lead to competition concerns if they were to bid for Glenmorangie.

As a result, a company without a major Scotch brand was perhaps the most likely to acquire Glenmorangie – and capture a sizeable share of a fast-growing market in the bargain. The company already had a partnership with two such companies – rum-maker Bacardi and Brown-Forman (owner of Jack Daniel’s) – having joined forces with the two larger groups in 2000 to help develop its business overseas. These two firms would certainly feature as leading potential candidates to acquire Glenmorangie, having the finances, knowledge of the company and an international distribution network to maximise the potential of the Glenmorangie name – as well as a limited presence in the Scotch whisky market.

Ultimately, whoever acquired the business would garner a major share of a malt whisky market which continues to go from strength to strength, even today. Figures from the Scotch Whisky Association show that malt whisky exports increased by 13.5 per cent in 2003, breaking through the £300 million barrier for the first time, with malts proving particularly popular in ‘new’ whisky-drinking nations in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Enter LVMH:

Glenmorangie's final set of interim figures before takeover underlined the importance of the acquisition, with the whisky maker's premium brands all performing ahead of expectations. Total cased volumes sales for the six months to 30 September were up 30%, with the three premium malt brands Glenmorangie, Ardbeg and Glen Moray driving the increase with gains of 11%, 27% and 52% respectively. Value sales of cased whisky (as opposed to bulk sales) were some 23% ahead at £28.7 million. Christmas was certain to increase the 'giftability' of the whisky.

Exceptional costs related to the takeover of the company would reduce pre-tax profits to £4.71 million during the half, although this was still 12% higher than in the previous year, despite the continued investment in brands - underlining the cash-generating qualities of the entity. In a world of surprises, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, the French agglomerate threw its hat into the ring. Despite market expectations, Pernod Ricard joined battle. Pernod argued that most of its business was in the premium blended market (where it owns market leader Chivas Regal) and not in single malts (where it owns The Glenlivet), and that the addition of Glenmorangie's brands would not lead to any significant competition concerns.

Ultimately, money won, with LVMH buying Pernod out at £300 million, a 6% premium to Glenmorangie's market capitalisation of £282 million.

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, the French multinational holding company and conglomerate specialising in luxury goods and headquartered in Paris, controls around 60 subsidiaries that manage 75 luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy, Dior, Givenchy, Fendi, Celine, Kenzo, Tiffany, Bulgari, Loewe, TAG Heuer, Marc Jacobs, Sephora, Stella McCartney, Loro Piana and Princess Yachts, among many others. It had a stronghold in Champagne and Cognac, but had yet to make an entry into the booming Scotch Whisky market. Now that an ideal opportunity had presented itself, LVMH had every intention of taking over one of the world’s leading Whisky Companies then on the market.

LVMH said it intended to run Glenmorangie as a stand-alone unit but with a new focus on building the brand's international reputation, entailing hiving off the company's minor brands despite solid growth. Only Glenmorangie and Ardbeg were retained. Moet Hennessy specific skills and experience in the marketing of luxury wines and spirits brands and strong track record ensured that Glenmorangie grew faster and more profitably within Moet Hennessy than as a stand-alone company.

Glenmorangie’s ‘Playful’ Redesign 2022

Starting July 2022, Glenmorangie created a new look for its core range to better reflect the flavours of each expression. The new packaging for Glenmorangie The Original, The Lasanta and The Quinta Ruban aimed to combine ‘elegance, luxurious materials and a sense of fun’. Using the tagline, "It's kind of delicious and wonderful!", the campaign was created in partnership with Aldridge and DDB Paris. Glenmorangie believes that their whisky is truly delicious and the reimagined packaging brings its flavours to the fore, an opportunity to welcome new drinkers with a playful elegance, which reflects creativity in whisky making; and to ensure their single malt stands out by using bold colours and enhanced branding. The new packaging is fully recyclable and comes with a guarantee that the pulp used in the carton comes from well-managed forests. While the whisky inside remains unchanged, the new labels are distinctly different with the hopes that the bottles will better stand out on the shelves, with brighter, bolder colorus and large-sized text. 


The three entries in the scotch brands core range that have been affected by the change are the 10-year Original, 12-year Lasanta and 14-year Quinta Ruban. The 10-year-old Original has always been the bestseller in the range, and its new label is designed to appeal to a younger audience. The 12-year Lasanta and 14-year Quinta Ruban are both premium expressions, and their new labels reflect this with a more modernised look. The orange colour used for The Original’s design is based on the 10-year-old whisky’s notes of orange, honey and peach. The red carton for 12-year-old Lasanta was inspired by the ‘rich, spicy sweetness’ of the liquid and the hues of a sunset while the packaging for 14-year-old Quinta Ruban is green to showcase the ‘bold and velvety whisky’s forest-like depths’. The refreshed packaging includes a more ‘elegant’ bottle shape, with wider shoulders, a tapered neck and stopper, and a swirled detail inspired by Glenmorangie’s Signet icon on the base. The carton and labels have also been updated to ensure they stand out on shelves, featuring ‘vivid’ colours to reflect the flavours of each whisky. The new design includes curving lines that run through the packaging to reflect the fluidity of the liquid, the wood used to age Glenmorangie and the distillery’s surroundings.

Glenmorangie’s Fight for its Name

The Glenmorangie name comes from the Gaelic words gleann mor na sith and translates to “glen of tranquility.” Fittingly, the phrase was also used as the brand’s promotion slogan for several years. In 2003, the company was hit with a formal complaint by an anonymous individual from Midlothian claiming that it was misrepresenting the language. The unidentified subject claimed that the true meaning of Glenmorangie loosely translated to “a big valley with a meadow of water.” Not to be budged, Glenmorangie refuted the claim and stated that the translation of Glenmorangie depended on the perceived root of the word. In the end, the brand was awarded the right to claim “glen of tranquility,” though it has since moved on to newer marketing approaches.

Their Attitude towards Casks

Under Dr Lumsden, Glenmorangie has been an industry leader in researching the ways in which wood impacts whisky maturation, blazing a trail on truly exceptional cask-finished whisky, his insistence on slow growth, air-seasoned Ozark Mountain oak barrels that were first used as Bourbon-whisky casks for instance. While other distilleries might use the same casks as many as six times, Glenmorangie’s practice has evolved to use casks only twice in order to retain the fullest flavour for a whisky of exceptional depth and complexity.

The Giraffe Gift Tins

Glenmorangie has introduced a special edition packaging called the Giftable Giraffe Tins. These tins are designed to celebrate the height of Glenmorangie’s stills, the tallest in Scotland. The giraffe-themed tins are not only visually appealing but also support a good cause, with each purchase contributing to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

The Giftable Giraffe Tins include:

Glenmorangie Original 10 YO: This is the distillery’s flagship expression, known for its mellow and delicate flavours, matured in ex-bourbon casks.

Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 YO: A rich and full-bodied single malt, aged in sherry casks for an additional layer of sweetness and spice.

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14YO: A darker, more intense whisky, finished in port casks, offering a complex mix of chocolate and fruit notes.


These tins make for a beautiful and meaningful gift, perfect for whisky enthusiasts and those who appreciate unique packaging with a purpose.

LVMH turns Glenmorangie from a Niche whisky into a Global Brand

Glenmorangie was one of the original single malt Scotch whiskies, albeit little-known in the early days. Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet ruled the small roost. The producers thought there was no market for single malts. Blended whisky was where the money had been for more than a century, and they needed the malts to give the blends their distinctive flavour profiles. Yet, Glenmorangie had just one iteration, the bottling now known as Glenmorangie “The Original” 10 Year Old, and it was one of a handful of single malts one could find in specialty shops in Edinburgh and London (Milroy’s whisky shop in Soho.)

A SAMPLE OF THE OLDER EXPRESSIONS

In the early ’90s interest in single malts took off globally, and has been growing rapidly since. But Glenmorangie was not really positioned to capitalise on its established reputation; as a partly family owned, partly publicly traded, company it didn’t have the resources to take advantage of this expanding market for single malt Scotch.

Until, that is, in 2004, when it was bought by French luxury goods giant Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, presumably in order to add a high-class Scotch to its portfolio of wines and spirits, and everything changed. LVMH has been very clever in upgrading Glenmorangie’s image, and its presence on the world whisky stage, without in any way diminishing the product in the bottle, the whole object of the exercise. Glenmorangie has always been successful in Scotland where it’s been the best-selling malt for decades, but it’s hard labour in wider markets.

According to Dr Lumsden, what has changed is two-fold. Firstly, he suddenly had a lot more money to invest in the distillery, in buying new cask types and doing all the things he couldn’t quite do before, an investment upfront by allowing him to innovate and experiment. Then, they’ve taken the brand onto a truly global platform. The area Glenmorangie always had a problem with was global distribution, and now they have that. Glenmorangie has benefited hugely from the LVMH distribution network because before them, they just didn’t have that network around the world to get Glenmorangie into the best places. They had a network of very independent distributors, but now they have the firepower of one of the world’s leading distribution companies sitting within a fantastic portfolio.

The change most obvious to the consumer is the new bottles, introduced in 2007 and given a further fresh outlook in 2021-22. The pre-LVMH bottles were very traditional and monotonous. But now, with their distinctive, curvaceous shape, they set the brand apart, and are a far better fit for LVMH’s up-market identity. The 2007 redesign, the new and distinctive look, was intended to brighten up the Glenmorangie image so it sat more comfortably within LVMH’s portfolio of chic. The new packaging has allowed Glenmorangie to position itself as a very premium, very desirable single malt whisky. Much more expensive, of course. And they all have tall necks!

The flow of LVMH cash has also enabled Lumsden to double production capacity by installing more stills. They now have the capacity to produce 6M litres a year, and are running very near that, the shortfall being due to programmed ongoing maintenance and expansion of their new environmental project. There’s also the opportunity for cross marketing by incorporating Glenmorangie into events for other LVMH brands, though very sparingly, only when it’s considered appropriate. LVMH has elevated Glenmorangie to the fourth most popular single malt Scotch in the world, an increase of 60% since the takeover.


The Irish Tain: An Unusual Coincidence

THE RECOVERY OF THE TAIN

In days long gone, at a time that is long past, Guaire, the King of Connacht, hosted a huge gathering of poets.  The King was famed for his generosity, but this gathering was testing his goodwill; they ate and drank everything they saw.

Now even in the hardest of times, poetry is regarded as a treasure by the Irish, but these poets had abused their position. The King’s brother Marban, annoyed that the poets’ demands and appetite had included his favourite pig, resolved to discredit them.

He declared that his servant’s wife’s grandmother was a poet’s great grandchild. Even with this remote connection to the art, he showed he knew more than all the other poets.  He asked them questions they couldn’t answer and for performances they couldn’t deliver.  Finally, he challenged them, ‘tell the most famous and celebrated Irish story, The Tain bo Cuilange’. There was a long silence. Then the poets had to admit that no one knew more than a few fragments.  The story had been lost.

The chief bard, Sanchan Torpiest, resolved to recover the story, and the honour of the poets.  The story had been written down in Ogham and taken by a bard to Italy.  A band of Sanchan’s followers, and his son Muirgen, set off to seek this bard. They stopped for the night at Enloch in Connacht.  Muirgen, exhausted, asked the others to go on and find a place to stay while he rested against a large stone.  Alone, Muirgen noticed carving on the stone.  The strokes and lines of Ogham spelled out the name of Fergus Mac Roich, hero of the Tain. 

The companions returned to fetch Muirgen, they found the stone encircled in dense fog, so cold they could barely breathe. They tried to reach their friend but became confused and arrived back outside the wall of fog.

In three days the fog receded.  Then they found Muirgen, elated.  He told them Fergus Mac Roich had appeared to him, dressed in a green cloak over a red tunic with a great sword that had a pommel of bronze.  The spirit of Fergus had told Muirgen the whole story of The Tain, calling up other long forgotten players to bear witness.

The band of poets returned and a crowd gathered to hear the story.  The hall was perfectly still as Muirgen conjured up the Tain; they could hear Cuchulain’s war cry, smell the fires of battle, feel the cold steel of weapons, and they could taste the salt of Deirdre’s tears.

The story survives to this day, written down by the monks of Clonmacnoise.

Ogham stones are stones on which short marks were made in groups of between one and five notches, strokes or diagonal lines, usually on the edge of the stone. Each group signifies a sound in Old Irish, and they are the oldest surviving written form of the language which is still spoken in this area.

THE RECOVERY OF THE TAIN: AN OGHAM STONE

Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD), and later the Old Irish language (scholastic ogham, 6th to 9th centuries). There are roughly 400 surviving orthodox inscriptions on stone monuments throughout Ireland and western Britain, the bulk of which are in southern Munster. The largest number outside Ireland are in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

The vast majority of the inscriptions consist of personal names.

According to the High Medieval Bríatharogam, the letters are named after various trees. For this reason, Ogham is sometimes known as the Celtic tree alphabet.

Monday 22 July 2024

NAS SCOTCH WHISKY PHENOMENON

NO AGE STATEMENT SCOTCH WHISKY
FOOL’S GOLD OR THE NEXT GOLD MINE?

As time and demand catch up with the declining stock of aged whiskies worldwide, Master Blenders are bringing out No Age Statement (NAS) whiskies that are younger than the whiskies they are replacing, but decidedly more expensive. In Scotland, Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman and Bunnahabhain from Islay and Talisker from Skye have quite a number of expensive NAS Whiskies on the market, making the most of the peated-whisky boom. Benriach and Tomintoul from Speyside are also into peat as are Jura, Edradour, Springbank’s Longrow family and other distilleries, not only in Scotland but also across the globe. Highlander Glenmorangie, with its extra-maturation, innovative wood finishes and exotic Limited Edition Single Malts (SM) has more NAS expressions than age labelled and adds a couple or more every year. These are just a few of the 140-odd distilleries with 2023-24 NAS expressions in Scotland. The balance has evidently tipped towards marketing at the cost of the consumer.


In 2010, Chivas Regal, along with Glenlivet and Ballantine's launched a global campaign, “Age Matters… Look for the number. Know the age. Know whisky.” But today, Chivas has the Ultis, Extra and Mizunara Blended Malt NAS Whiskies to combat the JW Blue, Island Green, Gold Label and Double Black NAS Whiskies, apart from those presented by the other two biggies. Their Icon is more than three times the price of JW Odyssey Blended Malt. NAS is evidently more than just an acronym and cannot be wished away by mere pronouncements.

Chivas Regal started off as an extremely successful expensive 25 year old (YO) Blended Whisky in the USA in 1909, a quintessential symbol of early 20th century luxury. Chivas closed shop during Prohibition in the USA (1920-33) and reappeared there only in 1939 as the most expensive 12 YO, nearly twice that of its competitors, prompting the unique theory explained below. Chivas Regal 12 YO was the most expensive Blended Scotch in its class in the UK post WWII, but at a drop in price to accommodate a clientele slightly out of pocket due the war. The Chivas Bros 21 YO blend, Royal Salute, first produced in 1953 using most of the aged whiskies left over once the 25 YO faded into memory, was also the most expensive in its class.

The Chivas Regal Effect: One interesting note from pop-economics/ marketing culture is the ‘Chivas Regal Effect,’ which occurs when a product sells more because the price of that product has been increased. The Balvenie 12 YO Doublewood has seen a price hike of more than 80% this year vis-s-vis 2010 and a 35% increase in sales. Since people often equate price with quality, consumers, who otherwise would not have purchased a product, might choose it because it is more expensive (and thus ‘better’ quality). Wine (St. Emilion 1982 @ US$ 220-2,200) is a good example of this effect in the world of alcohol and LVMH in branded consumer goods. NAS whisky distillers were canny enough to implement this concept, which left many consumers in an ambivalent frame of mind, with some annoyed enough to hurl brickbats at NAS whiskies.


Glenlivet, which campaigned along with Chivas Regal in 2010, announced in 2015 that they would be launching an NAS Whisky called The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve to replace The Glenlivet 12 in Germany and the UK. Pernod Ricard issued a statement: “The Glenlivet 12 Year Old remains, and will remain, the biggest reference in The Glenlivet portfolio globally and the core reference for the brand.” They added that some countries would stock both and other countries one or the other. As an explanation, they said that they felt they owed 'loyal fans' something new, a Long John Silver explanation, at best. Their other NAS, the Master Distiller's Reserve of 2011 was a sell out. They have, however, reverted to age stated whiskies, with a brand new 12 YO gaining immediate global traction and their 15 and 18 YO expressions doing well, competing mainly with Glenfiddich.

Ballantine's have two NAS Blended Scotch Whiskies, the time-honoured Ballantine's Finest and the new Ballantine's Hard Fired, first produced by Chivas Regal for owners Pernod Ricard in November 2016 to provide their 'loyal fans' some novelty with a masculine whisky (??) Ballantine’s Hard Fired whisky is named after the hard-fired finishing casks for this blend. The whisky is extracted from its second-fill American oak barrels, which are then charred by hard firing and refilled ̶ as soon as they simmer down ̶ with the very same extract and stored for 6-8 months. An interesting twist using a legal loophole: nothing is added to the contents, which would debar it from gaining the sobriquet 'Scotch Whisky', but the container is modified! All perfectly legal.


The furore stoked among some aficionados by the preponderance of No Age Statement whiskies may no longer be sustainable, now that it is known that stocks of malt whisky older than 11 years which had been reducing by about 6% per year since 2010, stabilized at -4% since 2019, a strange side-effect of Covid 19. Sadly, this figure is on the rise again as demand in a more populated, richer and  less cash crazy world increases. Such an outcome was anticipated decades ago by prescient producers such as Ardbeg and Glenmorangie, where Dr Bill Lumsden is the Master Blender. The increased demand for old age single malt whisky stocks have left the whisky baories running a little dry, but it is the perceived lack of transparency that has infuriated a few. The labels on the bottles and the artistic presentations on the cartons have little to reveal to those who believe that old is gold.


Diageo’s Head Of Whisky Outreach Nick Morgan agrees, “There’s increasing demand for Scotch malt whisky, but it is a finite product, and in the face of increasing demand, it becomes increasingly difficult to guarantee a supply of aged stock.” Companies – including Diageo – are responsible for the notion that age = quality: “When the rush towards single malts occurred some 40 years ago, the easiest thing to create a credential was putting numbers on bottles. It justified higher prices and gave them 'integrity'. The industry decided to teach people that age equated to value and now it’s bouncing back on us. The bond of trust between consumers and distillers is breaking.” That said, he thinks most critiques are based on ill-informed views emanating from puritans who don't understand the working of the whisky industry. Must comments are driven by impetuous ignorance. This is one factor that I, from past experience, must agree with.


We’ve successfully been releasing NAS whiskies for nearly 30 years with Glenmorangie and Ardbeg and they are doing very well,” says Lumsden, who has blended a plethora of successful NAS whiskies for both LVMH brands. His theory is simple: if you have the makings of a good whisky, all you need is good wood to make a good barrel or acquire a bespoke barrel. The Ardbeg Kelpie, Corryvreckan, Uigeadail, Ardbog, Galileo, Supernova, Perpetuum, etc., from the Islay stable and the Glenmorangie Signet, Bacalta, The Tarlogan, Dornoch, The Duthac, Companta, Astar 2017 and many more from the Highlands distillery have kept their tills ringing while accumulating awards galore, proving his posit. Their Ardbeg Uigeadail, a cask-strength multiple award winner, reportedly has 6 and 15 YO SMs in its makeup, as I've heard so often. Lumsden, however, states that it contains only 8-12 YO whiskies.


For Glenmorangie, he makes copious use of the Devil's Cut, or ‘indrink’, the liquid absorbed by the wood during maturation mainly in the Sherry industry. Nearly 60L of Sherry awaits the whisky in a 500 L Sherry barrel finish, in a 2 YO Sherry barrel. He adds a note of caution, “Regardless of what you are doing, young whisky in bad wood will be ruthlessly exposed.” GlenDronach, MacDuff, Macallan, Highland Park, Aberlour, Glenfarclas, Dalmore, Ardbeg, Tomatin, Balvenie, Strathisla, Glengoyne, Knockando, Bruichladdich, Glenlivet, Kavalan, Yamazaki and numerous other distilleries are producing excellent Sherry finish whiskies, both NAS and with Age Statement.

There is palpable fear among consumers that the arrival of a new NAS whisky presages the death knell of a much-loved bottling: Macallan’s 1824 Series spelled the end of the 10, 12 and 15 YOs; The Founder’s Reserve is replacing The Glenlivet 12 YO in the UK and Germany; The Talisker 10 may soon disappear, now that the Talisker Skye has followed Talisker Storm, Dark Storm, Neist Point, 57° North and Port Ruighe into the NAS market. Morgan denounces the ‘rumour’ vociferously.

People from the industry like Morgan believe that NAS whiskies were born out of necessity and make life easier for distillers and blenders. The flexibility of producing NAS whiskies gives them much greater creativity when producing a blended single malt – 99% of single malts are ‘blends’ anyway. It is undeniable that age-statement SMs and Blended Scotch are increasingly becoming rarities in an NAS world. Almost 80% of Scotch whisky sold does not have an age statement. All basic Blended Scotch brands rarely spell out their age, although there are many that do, including 3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10 year olds and more. Almost all 12 & 12+ YOs do, barring a handful. Also, creating NAS whiskies is one way of preserving stocks of aged whiskies for the popular age-stated brands, a concept hard to digest, but true.


George Grant, Sales Director, J&G Grant, disagrees. “Twenty years ago we told people what made Scotch whisky different from Cognac and Rum, etc., and why we were putting an Age Statement on the label: We wanted the customer to understand what they were buying. Of our 71 brands, only one is an NAS (?). When we ran out of aged stocks, we pulled our 30 and 40-year-olds off the market until we had enough. Compared to Cognac with its vague terms like XO and VSOP, I think age statements have been a huge strength for Scotch." So how can one turn 180° and tell the same people that one's whisky no longer carries an age statement? The interesting aspect I foresee is that in another few years, these distilleries will have aged stock again, lots of it. How will they cloak this change? Rediscover age statements and put them back on? Or carry on regardless, blending SMs in the €100-200 and more price range?

There are many reasons to justify NAS whiskies, but in some cases the whisky hasn’t come up to expectations in terms of quality. Taking younger but good SMs and blending them with older ones is not a problem, since technological advancements over the years have markedly improved distillation and wood management techniques, but the whisky still needs to be satiating in a market where the customer is king and has become picky and demanding.

Reviews of single malt Scotch whiskies between August 2015 and July 2016 confirm that age is a good indicator of quality – but not necessarily a perfect one. Whiskies 6-11 years of age are capable of scoring as high as far older whiskies. In other words, age does tend to improve whisky – but exceptional younger whiskies are capable of very high scores. “People should make a judgement on quality alone and not be swayed by the importance of age,” says Euan Mitchell, MD at Arran Distillers, a distillery that is just 21 years old and already pushing for NAS Whiskies.

I am not prepared to accept Mitchell's "summing it all up" statement. There are far too many brands out there, veritably slugging it out in a tight market, a major portion of which is reserved for the VIP Brands. If NAS whiskies will actually help ensure the long-term survival of those classic age-statement whiskies – I’ll gladly raise a toast to it. But I cannot get over my nagging fear that there is bound to be the less scrupulous distiller or private bottler who will cut corners. Such products that do not meet quality standards dictated by their price must be brought to book. But how? Who will dictate or define standards, as one man's uisge could be another man's hooch?

Macallan is an active proponent of NAS Whiskies, so I’ll let Ken Greer, the erstwhile Creative Director at Macallan who faced derisive remarks on the introduction of the Macallan’s 1824 Series, have the last word. He says that he gave his Master Blender has carte blanche in picking out any whisky for bottling in every category. This is done when he feels that the whisky is at its peak, like picking an apple when it is ripe, and not on some pre-decided date. For Greer, Scotch Whisky was about exceptional quality. It is about the integrity of the Scotch Whisky owners, distillers and producers, who, as guardians of that precious elixir, make sure that the right quality goes into the appropriate bottle at the right price point, whether it carries an age statement or not. Nobody will try to hoodwink some poor soul. That remains to be seen, doesn’t it?

Tuesday 28 May 2024

MORE ON THE CASK

 UNDERSTANDING THE WHISKY BARREL

By now you know how the type of grain, distillation and ageing process affect the flavour of your favourite tipple. The science behind whisky is a crazy and convoluted process that can make all the difference in your drinking adventure. The lowly barrel your whisky is aged in plays a massive role in shaping its taste. By understanding the science behind whisky ageing, you can develop a deeper appreciation for this fabulous spirit.

Types of Whisky Barrels

There are so many options when it comes to ageing whisky, it's enough to make your head spin! We're talking about different types of barrels, each with their unique personalities that can impact the final flavour and aroma of your beloved whisky.

The realm of whisky ageing is a perplexing and bursting one, with a plethora of options to choose from. The most prevalent vessels used for this purpose are oak barrels, which provide a porous surface for oxygen to interact with the whisky, producing unique flavours and aromas. American oak is the most commonly utilised variety, while Scotch and Irish whiskies are known to be aged in American and European oak barrels.

But why limit oneself to the ordinary? Bourbon barrels, for instance, are oak barrels that have already been employed for ageing bourbon. The law mandates that bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels, and hence these barrels are used just once for bourbon production before being sold to whisky distilleries. This results in an unpredictable and exciting ageing process for the whisky.

The most common casks are made of oak, specifically American oak, Quercus Alba, also known as white oak. Europe also has many varieties of oak, also referred to as Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus sessiliflora, Quercus pedunculata, aka European oak, English oak, French oak, Slovanian oak, Polish oak, common oak or pedunculate oak. In Japan, distilleries also use Japanese oak, known as Mizunara oak (Quercus mongolica).

Put differently, there are approximately 600 species of oak tree present across the world, including hybridised versions. North America houses the greatest concentration of oak tree species, with 90 different varieties growing in the United States and 160 growing in Mexico (though 109 of these are endemic). The second largest centre of diversity in oak species is China, which has 100 species. An oak tree that produces acorns on a stalk (peduncle) is pedunculate; a stalkless species native to the UK is named the Sessile oak.

  
                                AMERICAN OAK                                                                     EUROPEAN OAK

Both European and American oak are cultural icons, adorning coats of arms, emblems, flags and pub names throughout Europe and America. Both are hardwoods sharing the same scientific genus, Quercus. And, like all oaks, both species reproduce with acorns, each carried in a shallow cup. But, to the more discerning eye, there are a number of key differences between these two types of oak.

White American oak differs from European oak in its vanillin content and wide grain. A wide-grained oak imparts more flavour into the spirit, and its high vanillin content lends vanilla, coconut, and spicy notes typical of oak cask whisky.

                              EUROPEAN OAK                                                                     AMERICAN OAK

Boasting warm, honeyed golden browns, European oak generally has a darker, richer complexion than American oak, which tends to display a lighter tan colour with some pinkish and yellow hues.

European oak also has a more distinctive, wavy grain pattern with more prominent knots and swirls, providing character and rustic charm. You may see some instances of burr, a unique and eye-catching type of figuring. On the other hand, American oak’s less pronounced, straighter grain pattern is more uniform.

With a natural product like timber, some variation in tone is to be expected. In this regard, European oak is typically more consistent, with tight grain — American white oak can display a greater variation from board to board. The visual appeal of American oak is down to this colour variation rather than its grain.

Most new barrels produced are used to finish and age bourbon, as new charred white oak barrels are a designated requirement. After a single use, the barrels are resold, often used to mature other spirits like whisky, tequila, rum, sherry, etc.

As a spirit spends time in a barrel, it undergoes incredible changes in flavour, texture, and bouquet. Depending on the age of the barrel, the whisky will take on varying degrees of “extract” from the wood. The younger the barrel, the more extract it will produce. Thus, the whisky (or other spirit) will be more intensely flavoured.

Indrink: Then there is, of course, the Devil’s Cut, or indrink. This is the amount of spirit a barrel soaks up depending upon its porosity and period of holding liquid. A bourbon or sherry butt may hold a fair amount of bourbon or sherry in its inner recesses, but these are met up with in time by the spirit new in that butt. In the former case, most distillers try and extract the bourbon to the limit possible. Most distillers retain the sherry soaked in the barrel as it adds its distinctive colour and taste to the maturing spirit.

The extract weakens and passes on more subtle flavours and less colour as the years pass. That said, even an older barrel has a powerful effect on the whisky maturation process. Once a barrel has been used four or more times after reconditioning in a cooperage, it is considered “neutral” in terms of extract, but even a neutral barrel will add to the texture and mouthfeel of the whisky. These old barrels are generally used for grain whiskies.

Because of the evolutionary nature of whisky barrels and since they are hand-crafted and individually charred, no two are alike. This is why master distillers choose to blend whiskies from several barrels. Whereas one barrel might be newer and have more aggressive flavours and char intensity, whiskies from older barrels will provide balance and unique layers of flavour that would not be possible from a single barrel.

The craft of blending whisky is based in tradition and a source of pride for every distiller. Each batch can be as singular, unique, or consistent as they want, based on their meticulously managed barrel programme and masterful blending skills.

Moving on to other unconventional options, sherry casks are barrels that have already been used for ageing sherry. These casks, usually fashioned from European oak, are capable of imparting a range of flavours, from fruity to nutty, to the whisky. Port casks are yet another type, being barrels that have already been used for ageing port wine. Typically crafted from European oak, they can give sweet and fruity flavours to the whisky, providing a truly distinctive experience.

In addition to these, wine barrels offer a multitude of opportunities to experiment with. Whisky can be aged in barrels that have previously held a variety of wines, from red wine to white wine to Champagne. The type of wine used for ageing plays a significant role in influencing the flavour and aroma of the whisky, resulting in a truly remarkable and unparalleled experience. Barrels that have matured other spirits are also used, like Cognac, Armagnac, Tequila and Rum, among others. (See chart.)

So there is a plethora of options to choose from, each with their own distinctive twist on the ageing process. Distilleries love to mix and match different types of barrels to create the perfect blend of flavours and aromas, so don't be afraid to buy a whisky matured in exotic casks. Glenmorangie and Macallan experiment widely.

The Ageing Process

When whisky is first distilled, it's just a plain, colourless liquid with no flavour or aroma, typically called ‘New Make’. Contrary to common belief, all New Make is collected in huge metallic containers and hauled off to either the chill filtration or maturation plant. New Make is then poured into barrels, up to a pre-determined level and closed.

This is where the ageing process comes in to save the day! It's the barrel that gives your whisky its mesmerizing colour and unique flavour profile. The New Make is placed in barrels, and the wood interacts with the liquid, creating a range of chemical reactions. The primary factors that influence the ageing process include the type of wood, the previous contents of the barrel, the level of char, and the length of ageing. Here are the steps in the ageing process of whisky barrels:

  • Extraction: The liquid in the barrel extracts flavours and aromas from the wood.
  • Oxidation: Oxygen in the air reacts with the whisky, leading to the creation of new flavours and aromas.
  • Evaporation: A small amount of whisky evaporates over time, leading to a more concentrated flavour.
  • Filtration: The whisky is filtered through the wood, removing impurities and smoothing out the flavour.
  • Maturation: Over time, the flavour of the whisky becomes more complex and nuanced.

The duration of ageing is crucial! Most whiskies age for at least three years, but some are lucky enough to be aged for decades. Can you imagine the flavours and aromas that come with that? The longer the whisky ages, the more perplexing and bursting with flavours it becomes, but up to a point. The whisky must be extracted while it is still drinkable. Non-stop ageing leads to very low ABVs and the possibility of the wood jarring the overall taste.

The whisky scene is a globally open playing field for distilleries to get creative with their craft. Regulations state that oak must be used for ageing whisky, but distilleries have the freedom to experiment with a variety of different oaks to create unique flavours and aromas in their whisky. And with the minimum three-year ageing rule and cask size limit of 700 litres, distilleries have the freedom to craft their spirits with creativity and innovation, resulting in an explosion of imaginative and diverse whiskies. The result is a whisky scene that's bursting with personality and creativity, where each distillery has its own distinct character and flavour profile.

The Effects of Different Seasons on Ageing

Different seasons affect the ageing process of the whisky. First up, the sizzling summer! As the heat rises, so does the whisky in the barrel, leading to an intense dance between the liquid and the wood. The result? A whisky bursting with more flavour and aroma than ever before! But the heat can also cause more evaporation, leaving behind a higher concentration of alcohol and flavours.

In the the cooler autumn/fall season, the whisky just chills out in the barrel, quite literally! The cooling temperature causes the liquid to contract, which means less interaction with the wood. As a result, the flavours and aromas are less concentrated. But this just means you get to enjoy a more laid-back and mellow whisky.

In winter, the barrel cools even more, causing the liquid to contract even further. This limits the interaction with the wood, resulting in fewer flavours and aromas being extracted. However, the slower ageing process leads to a smoother and more mellow whisky.

Finally, we have the vibrant and lively spring season! As the temperature rises, the whisky expands, resulting in more interaction with the wood and the creation of new flavours and aromas. Talk about a party in a barrel!

The fluctuations in temperature and humidity throughout the seasons can also impact the wood in the barrel, causing it to expand and contract. This makes the whisky move in and out of the wood, further impacting the flavour and aroma profile.

In the end, each bottle of aged whisky is unique and distinct, thanks to the magical touch of the different seasons.

The Impact of Temperature and Humidity

Temperature and humidity significantly impact the ageing process and can have a considerable influence on the final flavour and aroma of the whisky. The combination of different temperatures, humidity levels, and seasonal variations can create a unique flavour and aroma profile for each bottle of aged whisky making the ageing process both complex and multifaceted.

  • Temperature: One of the critical factors that affect the ageing of whisky. Higher temperatures can cause the liquid to expand, leading to more interaction with the wood and the creation of more intense flavours and aromas. Conversely, lower temperatures can slow down the ageing process, resulting in a smoother and more mellow whisky.
  • Humidity: It can also have a significant impact on the ageing process of whisky. High humidity can cause the wood in the barrel to expand and contract, creating more opportunities for interaction with the liquid. This can lead to the creation of new flavours and aromas in the whisky. On the other hand, low humidity can cause the liquid to evaporate more quickly, leading to a more concentrated and intense flavour profile.
  • Seasonal variations: The changes in temperature and humidity due to season can also impact the ageing of whisky. As the temperature and humidity fluctuate throughout the year, the liquid in the barrel can expand and contract, creating new opportunities for interaction with the wood. This can result in a more complex and nuanced flavour profile for the whisky.

The Role of the Distillery

The entire process of making whisky, from selecting the grains and water to distilling and ageing the spirit is handled by the distillery. It must carefully manage the entire production process to create a high-quality whisky with a unique flavour and aroma profile. Distillery roles include:

  • Selection of grains: This includes selecting barley, corn, rye, or wheat. The grains can impact the flavour and aroma of the final product.
  • Mashing and fermenting: The mashing of grains and adding yeast on it creates a mash that can be fermented. The fermentation process converts the sugars in the mash into alcohol.
  • Distillation: The distilling of fermented liquid removes impurities and concentrates the alcohol. The type of still used in the distillation process can impact the flavour and aroma of the final product.
  • Ageing: Selecting and preparing the barrels that will be used for ageing the whisky. Monitoring the temperature and humidity of the ageing room ensures the proper ageing of the whisky.
  • Blending: The blending of different whisky barrels create a consistent flavour and aroma profile for the final product.
  • Bottling: The whisky is bottled and labelled with the necessary information, such as the age, type, and alcohol content.

The Significance of Cask Size

The size of the cask used for ageing whisky can have a significant impact on the flavour and aroma of the final product. Distilleries must carefully select the size. Here are some of the ways that the cask size can influence the ageing of whisky:

  • Surface area: The larger the cask, the smaller the surface area in contact with the liquid. This can slow down the ageing process and result in a smoother and more mellow whisky. Conversely, smaller casks have a larger surface area in contact with the liquid, leading to a faster ageing process and more intense flavours and aromas.
  • Oxygenation: Smaller casks have a higher ratio of liquid to air, resulting in more oxygenation and the creation of more intense flavours and aromas.
  • Wood interaction: Smaller casks have a more significant impact on the liquid, resulting in more intense flavours and aromas.
  • Temperature: Smaller casks can heat up or cool down more quickly than larger casks, impacting the ageing process.

The Barrel Ageing Timeline

The ageing timeline of whisky can vary depending on several factors, such as the type of whisky, the type of cask used for ageing, and the environmental conditions in the ageing room. The general timeline for the whisky ageing process goes like this:

  • Ageing for a minimum of three years: By law, most whiskies must be aged for a minimum of three years, two in Australia. During this time, the whisky takes on the flavour and aroma of the cask, with the wood interacting with the liquid to create new flavours and aromas.
  • Maturation: As the whisky continues to age, the flavour and aroma profile become more complex and nuanced. The length of maturation can range from three to over 30 years, depending on the desired flavour and aroma profile.
  • Peak flavour: At a certain point, the whisky reaches its peak flavour and aroma profile. This is when the distillery decides that the whisky is ready to be bottled and sold.
  • Over-ageing: After the whisky has reached its peak flavour and aroma profile, it can continue to age in the cask. However, over-ageing can lead to a loss of flavour and aroma, making the whisky less desirable.

The ageing timeline can vary depending on the type of whisky and the type of cask used for ageing. For example, Scotch whisky is often aged for longer periods than American whiskey. Additionally, the environmental conditions in the ageing room can impact the ageing timeline. Overall, the ageing timeline of whisky is a complex and dynamic process that involves many factors, resulting in a unique and complex flavour and aroma profile for each whisky.

 CASKS CAN MAKE OR BREAK AN EXPRESSION


What gives whisky its unique taste, colour, mouthfeel and aroma? The barrel — more specifically, the inside of the barrel. You can get all the steps right from the very beginning — the best grain, a pristine water source, a flawless distillation sequence — but it’s the maturation process that gives the spirit its character. And the barrel’s interior plays a big part in that. This article comes up again in a later post.

In Scotland, the spirit must mature in casks for a minimum of three years to be legally called whisky. In this time frame, the spirit is influenced by the cask it’s been matured in, which is why it is important to understand how these casks contribute. Obviously, the longer the time spent in the cask, the more the influence and hopefully, the better the quality and final taste of the whisky. The type of wood used, age, size and the previous liquid in the cask all matter. Different types of wood add different elements to the contents. The innate qualities of the new make are given the required finesse and final colour and taste by the cask.

Given the advancement in technology, it is possible to identify the different flavours using physicochemical methods. Even the smallest of variations can account for big differences in taste. That's how receptive our senses can be. Researchers measure the various substances like esters, tannins, furfural, congeners, lactones, etc., in ppm (parts per million) and are now reaching out to ppb (parts per billion) in a nanometric world.

THE WOOD

A wooden cask is a small masterpiece of craftsmanship. Although machines are increasingly used by coopers today, actual manufacturing is still done by hand. The planks for the staves aren't simply cut at right angles from a log, like construction timber. The grain direction of the wood must be taken into account so none of the radial vessels of the wood penetrates the side of the cask. Not only does wood contain annual rings but also vessels that lead from the core to the bark radially. The tree transports water and nutrients through these vessels. However, these vessels are inconvenient for whisky since they would make the staves leaky and allow excessive evaporation. Therefore the wood has to be cut in special patterns (star cut, mirror cut or rift cut) so the annual rings stand vertically. This is why far less usable wood can be cut from one log; a cask stave is thus much more expensive than a normal plank.

Yet another aspect has to be factored in- how the new make reacts with the staves of wood. Alcohol is insidious-it attacks from within, albeit at some micrometres per day. As it reaches into the wood, it meets both intractable and amenable wood. The alcohol slowly absorbs minute quantities of specific substances it can dissolve and integrates them with the new make. The more the reaction, the more the absorption. That said, the longer the stay in the barrel, the greater the evaporation as the Angel's share.

TIMBER AND STAR CUTS

These planks are then made into staves with trapezoidal vanes (according to the roundness of the planned cask). The newly made staves must then be dried until they reach a level of less than 10% residual moisture. This may be left to nature and solar heat or done quickly in modern drying chambers without affecting the quality of the cask.

If the casks were made from this wood, you would get a tight container, but the whisky cannot mature. From a maturation standpoint, the wood is still dead. Specific thermal treatment breathes life into the wood, as will be explained in depth later. The wood can be bent into the typical cask shape only with heat. The wood is heated up to 200°C in a big oven for approximately 30 minutes, and the firm wood structure is broken up. The cask begins to live in terms of maturation. Once the staves have been bent into shape, the cooper completes his job of assembling that cask.

                                      

A cut through a treated stave will reveal a red ring in the wood beside a charcoal layer of several millimetres depth, the so-called 'red layer'. This layer separates the 'activated' from the 'natural' wood. It is up to this layer that the heat has penetrated the wood and activated it for flavour extraction. Most of the flavours sit in this layer, the section right underneath the char. Liquid stored in deeper-charred barrels takes longer to interact with this layer, meaning the flavours are extracted from the barrel far more slowly. This facilitates a smoother character over long ageing periods. Whisky stored in lighter-charred barrels interacts with the red layer much faster, leading to a quicker rate of flavour extraction. This helps pack the whisky with sought-after notes over a much shorter ageing period.

Only oak wood is suitable for cask production. Soft wood contains resin, which prevents the cask from breathing. Other types of wood have congeners that emit unpleasant flavours, making the whisky unpalatable. Oak wood from trunks with an age of 70 to 200 years is ideal. There are two fundamentally different species of oak: American white oak (Quercus alba) and the various European oak species (Quercus general). American white oak grows faster and has a mellower, softer and sweeter taste with notes of vanilla and caramel. In contrast, European oak is spicier with full, intense aromas and more tannins and has a stronger wood input that is prominent on the nose.

European oak grows in northern Spain and Portugal. French oak is used to age wine and cognac. An American oak tree can be cut down at 70-100 years, while the slower-growing European oak must grow for at least 150-200 years. Five major factors influence the Whisky in the cask: 

                                                 TYPE OF PREDECESSOR FLUID

Predecessor

Prior Spirit

Alteration of Taste

Colour Change 

Bourbon

Whiskey        

Vanilla, sweetness, caramel, creamy

Golden

Burgundy

Wine

Very fruity, slightly sweet, slightly dry

Dark red

Madeira

Fortified Wine

Spiciness, light fruitiness, sweetness, dryness

Dark, amber

Port (sweet)

Fortified Wine

Sweet, dried fruit, spiciness

Red

Port (semi-dry)

Fortified Wine

Lightly sweet, dried fruit,  spiciness

Red

Port (dry)

Fortified Wine

Dry, dried fruit, spiciness

Red

Oloroso

Sherry

Deep, dark, nutty, dark ripe fruits

Red, amber

Pedro Ximenez

Sherry

Very sweet, dark fruits, raisins, syrup

Amber

Fino

Sherry

Light fruits, sweetness, dryness, light wood

Bright

Manzanilla

Sherry

Salty, dryness, sea flavours, fresh, some fruit

Bright

Amontillado

Sherry

Sweetness, nutty, dry, fresh, acid

Amber

Palo Cortado

Sherry

Rich, sweet, dry, sweet spices, fruits

Brown

Sauternes

Wine

Sweetness, zest, acidity, light fruits

Bright to amber

Bordeaux (red)

Wine

Strong red fruits, grapes (wine), berries

Red

Tokaji

Wine

Light fresh fruits (citrus, mango), very sweet

Bright to amber

Ruby Port

Fortified Wine

Very fruity, dark fruits, berries

Red

Barolo

Wine

Fruits, tannins (bitter), dry fruits, heavy aromas

Red

Chardonnay

Wine

Lean, crisp, acidic, tropical fruits

Bright

Muscat

Wine

Floral , sweet, citrus, peach

Bright/red

Muscat

Fortified Wine

Very sweet, dark fruits, raisins, syrup

Amber

Rum (white)

Spirit

Sweet, molasses, vanilla, tropical fruit, almond

Bright

Rum (dark)

Spirit

Sweet, syrup, dark fruits, oak, caramel, vanilla

Amber

Amarone

Wine

Tannins (bitter), dry, raisins, ripe fruits

Red

Marsala

Fortified Wine

Sweet, complex, spices

Dark red

Virgin Oak

-

Vanilla, cloves, caramel

Dark brown

                                                   SIZE OF THE CASKS

The sizes of casks are awkward to define because there is no ISO standard regulating the volume of a standard cask. In the interim, a cask type taken as the baseline is the American Standard Barrel (ASB), which holds approximately 200 litres. ASBs are also the 'raw material' for the production of Scottish hogsheads, which hold approximately 250 litres. If you disassemble an ASB and use slightly bigger rings (hoops) for reassembly, you can produce casks with a bigger diameter from the same staves. Out of four to five ASBs, you can make three hogsheads. Since the trapezoidal shape of these staves is designed to contain 200 litres, you can’t make casks with even bigger diameters from them. The casks would eventually become leaky at the rifts.

There is another problem with the volume of the casks as the cask sizes are also a unit of measurement. Take the Butt for example. The normal butts come in sizes of 500 litres (132 US gallons). But there is also a measurement unit called a butt, which is 1/2 a tun and is 122 US gallons (477 litres).

Besides the type of wood and the thermal treatment, viz., the size of the cask influences the maturation process. Whisky matures faster in small casks since more of the content is in contact with the wood, as compared to large barrels. The exchange of substance between wood and whisky takes place faster.

In Spain and Portugal, European oak is made into casks holding 500 to 600 litres, which are ideal for the maturation of Sherry and Port. The Scots call these casks 'butts' or 'Sherry butts' and 'Port pipes'. Today more and more butts are made from American oak for financial reasons.

The following table shows the actual sizes the most barrels come in, not the sizes of the measurement units.

Name

Litres

US Gallon

Imperial Gallon

American Standard Barrel /Bourbon Barrel

200

53

44

Butt

500

132

109

Quarter Cask

125

33

27

Standard Hogshead

238

63

52

Puncheon

320

85

70

Madeira Drum

650

172

143

Port Pipe (tall)

500

132

109

Sherry Hogshead

245

65

54

Cognac type

300

79

66

Bordeaux type

225

59

49

Barrique cask

225

59

49

Bloodtub

50

13

11


Cask Sizes Displayed at Edradour Distillery


Casks are also grouped by volume. The Scotch Whisky Association has ruled that no wooden cask in excess of 700 litres may be used. The breakdown is listed below:

Size of Casks

Type of Casks

Big

> 400 Litres (>132 US gallons)

Butt, Port Pipe, Puncheon, Madeira Drum

Medium

200 - 400 Litres (53 - 106 US Gallons)

ASB, Bourbon barrel, any Hogshead, Barrique cask, Cognac cask, Bordeaux cask

Small

<200 Liters (53 US Gallons)

Quarter cask, Bloodtub


TYPE OF WOOD

Type of Wood

Effect on Taste

American white oak (Quercus alba)

Mellow, soft, vanilla, caramel

European oak (Quercus robur and petraea)

Spicy, bitter, strong on the wood

Mizunara Oak (Quercus crispula)

Sandalwood, coconut, oriental spices

Maple (Acer)

Sweet, maple syrup


There are major differences between the two primary types of oak. American white oak grows in the east of the United States of America and a few parts of Canada. The tree grows rather fast for an oak tree and is therefore a bit less expensive than the European counterpart. Its wood is very dense (770 kg/m³) and contains a lot of monogalloyl glucose. This is later evinced as the typical Bourbon vanilla taste.

European oak grows all over the European continent far into Russia and Turkey. It grows slower than its American counterpart and is less dense (720kg/m³). It contains Gallic acid which is considered a pseudo-tannin. This acid in combination with water gives the whisky a slightly bitter note. The European oak has also a lot of other components that also add to the spiciness of the whisky.

Mizunara oak is very common in the forests of northeast Asia, where it is used primarily for high-quality furniture. Due to its high density and thin fibres, the staves must be cut along the fibres, which never grow perfectly straight. The Oak also lacks waterproofing oil enzymes, so much more whisky evaporates during ageing than when stored in American or European oak. Despite these characteristics, which make it much more difficult to use for whisky barrels, Mizunara oak gained popularity for whisky ageing in the early 20th century, because of the special aromas it gives off to whisky, reminiscent of sandalwood, coconut and oriental spices, for example.

Maple grows in many parts of the world, including Eurasia, North Africa and Central & North America. With its relatively low density of 653 kg/m3, it is used primarily in the production of Tennessee Whiskey and is not used elsewhere.

CHARRING AND TOASTING

The barrel itself must be prepared beforehand. This is done by burning the insides. While this process may relatively straightforward, there are distinct two types of burning procedures that whisky makers use when crafting their barrels: toasting, and charring.

Heat causes hemicellulose within the wood to break down into natural sugars, resulting in toasty caramel notes, colour and aromas, while oak lactones add woody, coconut-like notes.

When exposed to heat, tannins become less astringent while oak lignin (a fibre within the wood) breaks down into flavour molecules like eugenol (spiced/cloves) and, more famously, vanillin (vanilla).

Charred Barrel

When comparing the two methods, the fundamental variable is the degree to which the wood is burned. Charred barrels, for example, are heavily burned and resemble the remains of a campfire after it has been extinguished. The interior of charred barrels is black and has much more ash residue, resulting in a much darker colour for the whisky. As far as flavour goes, charred wood imparts sweeter flavours like caramel and honey. The reason for this is that the wood sugars are caramelised when heavily burned, and thus they leach into the whisky.

Moreover, the carbon in the ash acts as a filter for the harsher elements of the liquor. Ageing whiskey (like bourbon) in charred barrels results in a smoother, mellower flavour.

At times, a barrel is given a number reflecting the degree it has been charred to on a scale of 1-4, i.e., a new American white oak barrel with a #4 char. This “barrel char level,” as it is called, basically means the higher the number, the deeper the burning char into the wood. There’s a lot of science around this; in essence, the darker the char, the more different the flavour profile and the more colourful the whisky will likely be.

Toasted Barrel

Unlike their charred brethren, toasted barrels are heated much more gently, resulting in a dark brown toast rather than a blackened char. Toasted barrels add a bit more vanilla flavour to the liquor, as well as spicy accents. Because the wood hasn’t been heavily burned, the sugars haven’t had time to caramelise, making the whisky a bit sharper on the tongue. Toasted barrels also do not impart much colour to the spirit, resulting in a lighter shade.

Toasting is a slower process. It involves gently heating the barrel’s interior over an open flame so that the heat can penetrate deep into the wood, which mellows and takes on a dark brown colour.

REUSE OF THE CASK (FIRST FILL vs REFILL)

Oak casks are very durable and can contain Whisky for many decades. However, over the years the aroma that the Whisky can absorb from the wood decreases. The cask is leached out. Whisky that is stored in new casks, therefore, absorbs the most aromas.

In the first (1st) fill casks, the term ‘1st fill’ doesn't mean the original filling of the cask with Bourbon, Sherry or Port, but the first Scotch Malt Whisky that's filled into a cask. No work is done on that cask either. This way, the 1st fill extracts the strongest flavours from the wood.

Bourbon is mandatorily matured in fresh casks and is aromatic enough to be bottled after only two years, leaving a still well-endowed cask. Scotch Whisky is matured in used casks, which have already been used, e.g., Bourbon or Sherry. The cask has already released a large part of the aromas. Therefore the Scottish Malts only become really good after longer maturation. However, this also gives the Whisky more time to reduce the alcoholic spiciness. Nowadays, this historically developed system is an essential distinguishing feature between the Whisky types.

Casks are an expensive commodity. Therefore it is common in the whisky industry to mature whisky in casks more than once. A cask still contains a lot of aromas after ten years of Malt Whisky maturation and is therefore reused for the next Malt. In the industry, they are called 'refill casks'. Refill casks are reused for up to about 30 years.

It is natural that the influence of the cask on the taste weakens progressively. It is no surprise if a whisky from a refill cask has absorbed very little flavour - and also colour. On the labels of some bottlers, you sometimes find indications like 'Refill' or 'First Fill', which reflects the degree of use of the casks. This gives you as a customer an indication of the approximate intensity of the cask aroma. However, it is also common to add colour to whisky with tasteless caramel. In this case, the influence of the cask is hidden.

It is more and more common to refurbish casks, as this is cheaper than buying new ones. This brings out the oak aroma again. Sherry, Port or Wine aromas cannot be reproduced in this manner. These 'rejuvenated' casks make whisky very spicy within a short time. They are most often used to produce NAS whiskies or single malts for blending. 

Data, videos and images courtesy whisky.com

 CASKS USED FOR MATURING WHISKY

THE BASICS 

Maturation in casks to provide taste, colour and provenance is one of the main reasons whisky is so widely popular across the globe. Interactions between the organic compounds in newly distilled spirit and the chemical compounds in wood produce a wide and complex range of flavours, and aging it in different types of wood can create incredible variations in taste. This is a crucial fact to pay regard to, since the raw make that enters the Spirits Safe has an obnoxious taste which has to be cautiously and continually nurtured, first to an acceptable and then to enticing taste. Evidently, whisky gets much of its flavour from the wood it’s aged in. If many different types are used, what do they add? The key points about whisky maturation are:

  • The number of times the cask has been used–the more times, the less flavour will be imparted.
  • The size of the cask–the greater the surface-area-to-volume ratio, the more flavour the whisky will get.
  • The time spent in the cask–more time means more flavour extraction.
  • The intensity of the spirit–a lighter style will get more influence from the wood than a heavier one.

CASK SIZES AND COMPONENTS

The bigger the cask, the longer it takes the liquid inside to mature.

Barrel, 180–200 litres, also known as an American Standard Barrel (ASB), is commonly used for bourbon. These are made from American oak.

Hogshead, 225–250 litres, is made by taking part ex-bourbon barrels to create one bigger cask. The Scotch whisky industry often prefers larger casks for ageing as this allows more whisky to be aged in the warehouse.

Madeira Drum, 600–650 litres, is made from French oak and used for Madeira wine.

Port Pipe, 550–650 litres, is made from European oak, and as the name suggests, is used to age port wine.

Sherry Butt, 475–600 litres, is made from American oak, although some are made from European oak. Butt is the most common size used for ageing sherry.

Barrique, 250–300 litres, is widely used in the maturation of wine and cognac. Barrique is mainly made from French Oak.

                      

THE AGEING PROCESS

The ageing process can be broken down as follows:

  • The temperature in the warehouse fluctuates day-by-day and during the changing seasons
  • The resulting pressure change forces the whisky into the pores of the wood by way of the charred interior surface
  • The whisky reacts with air/water and undergoes a chemical reaction that breaks down some of the organic compounds in the wood
  • Some of the ethanol and water evaporates as part of the reaction and exposure to air causing the “Angel’s Share” to leave the barrel
  • The wood constituents and whisky diffuse back into the barrel as the warehouse environment fluctuates
  • Convection currents mix the contents of the barrel and the whisky turns darker brown as the cycle repeats

NUMBER OF FILLS

Bourbon must be aged in new oak, so when whisky is aged in a 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel, this means it is the first time that malt whisky has gone into that barrel after bourbon. In this case, the whisky will be heavily influenced by the wood, and therefore the spirit is only left in the barrel for a short period to avoid heavy wood influence. This can be around five years.

In Scotland, the same cask can be used for years and years, although it is uncommon for the cask to be refilled more than three times. So obviously, after the 1st fill you will have a 2nd fill, which averages around eight to twelve years, and, confusingly, the third and final fill is known as the refill. After the 3rd fill, the inside of the cask can be shaved to show new wood before re-toasting and charring.

Some distilleries will even put a cask back into service for a fourth filling, depending on the spirit and intended purpose.  5th and 6th fill casks definitely exist, but it’s considered uncool to talk about them. Most of them land up in the three-year grain whisky maturation process.

With the massive boom in the whisky industry and demand for casks at an all-time high – plus the cost of casks increasing accordingly – tired casks that might once have been discarded are now being rejuvenated to get a second lease on life. The internal surface of the cask is scraped back to fresh wood, then re-charred to re-instate the all-important charcoal filter. “De-char, re-char” is the common phrase and process in Scotland, and many casks will also receive a level of toasting prior to re-charring, in order to better break down the wood, release the vanillins, and soften the tannins. An example of Loch Lomond techniques regarding 'Charring' will follow. Casks or whisky releases noted as STR undergo this process, with STR standing for Shaved, Toasted, and Re-charred.

Long-term maturation in 2nd fill casks allows the magical interactive process to really play out without the additive process becoming over-bearing or upsetting the balance. Single malts matured from 15 to 25 years in 2nd fill casks produce some of the finest results.

Glenfarclas prefers 2nd fill casks, and believes that the best Glenfarclas whiskies come from refill casks.  Glenfarclas, of course, is famed for maturing its whisky in ex-sherry casks, and the distillery is careful to ensure that 1st fill casks aren’t left for too long.  The danger is that the sherry-influence would over-power and dominate the spirit.  Most releases in the Glenfarclas portfolio (e.g. the 10yo, 12yo, 15yo, 17yo, etc, etc) are thus a careful vatting of casks that combine 1st fills and re-fills; American oak and European oak.  Macallan goes down a similar route with its Double Cask range, further introducing the influence of ex-bourbon casks in its Triple Cask Matured range

MORE ABOUT OAK

Maturation of whisky in oak is a three-pronged action that requires three different processes to occur. These three processes may be summarised as being additive, subtractive, and interactive. They are worth elaborating on:

Additive: The cask will add flavour and character to the spirit.  Wood sugars, oaky notes, tannins, the influence of the previous filling (e.g. sherry), and colour will all be added to the spirit.

Subtractive: The cask will subtract certain volatiles and compounds from the spirit, making it more mellow, softer, and approachable.  Casks are typically charred before being employed in the drinks industry; the charred wood acts as a natural filter that removes undesirable compounds such as sulphur.  (As an aside, this is why the distilleries that produce a more sulphury new-make often benefit from longer years in the wood).  Other volatiles in the spirit, some of them undesirable, will be lost through evaporation.  The “Angels’ Share” is the lighthearted term given to evaporation, but it’s a serious matter for whisky producers in warmer climate countries:  Filling a 200 litre cask with your precious spirit and only having 100 litres of it left in the cask after five years is a challenging issue.  

Interactive: This is where the magic happens. Certain chemical and molecular reactions occur between the wood, the spirit, the residuals left by previous fillings, and – most importantly – oxygen, to create new flavours/aromas. The casks breathe; the spirit oxidises; and the oak and spirit transform one another. This interactive process can be where the different oak species produce different results, as they vary in the nature of their chemical and biological make-up: The differing characteristics of the wood’s density, permeability, hemi-cellulose, lignins, tannins, oils, lipids, and so on, will all impact the spirit differently. Despite the modern Scotch whisky industry being more than 250 years old, commentators and industry professionals believe that this third interactive process is only just now starting to be understood from a scientific perspective.

Time is therefore of the essence, and due time is needed for all three of these processes to play out.  Three years is the minimum period of maturation stipulated by law in Scotland, which was set as a minimum benchmark for quality….although the climate and production regimens in Scotland generally dictate that most whisky will take 8-15 years to peak.  Climate and environmental conditions (namely heat and humidity) obviously have a large influence on maturation – particularly evaporation – and so different countries factor this into their production methodologies and timescales.  There’s a truism that whisky matures faster in hotter countries, but it’s important to understand the difference between true, three-pronged maturation and simply base evaporation and taking on colour.

Evaporation over time is a complex problem for distillers, and it differs the world over, subject to the local climate – particularly the local humidity.  The conditions in Scotland lead to the alcohol evaporating faster than the water within the spirit, meaning that the alcohol content of the whisky decreases with time.  In contrast to this, the conditions in Kentucky, USA, lead to the water evaporating faster than the alcohol, meaning that the alcohol content of the spirit actually increases over time! 

One of the challenges for the so-called new world whisky producing countries is to find the balance or sweet spot with their maturation programs whilst juggling the many forces, demands, and financial factors at play for start-up operations.  For new distilleries wanting to bring aged whisky to market sooner and bring in much-needed cash flow, there is temptation and a growing tendency to adopt small-cask maturation in active casks to supposedly fast-track the process.  However, as many distilleries in Australia have found to their detriment, aging spirit in 20L or 50L casks for just over two years in ex-wine casks might produce a dark whisky that initially seems ready to some drinkers, but the reality is that only two of the three maturation processes discussed above have partially occurred:  The additive and interactive processes have occurred to some extent, but there simply hasn’t been sufficient time for the subtractive process to fully play out.  The result is often hot and dry whisky that is over-oaked yet under-matured.    

The situation is exacerbated at distilleries who insist on using ex-wine casks that have only been toasted, rather than heavily charred, meaning that their casks are less capable of removing (subtracting!) the volatiles and other aggressive compounds that maturation seeks to address.   (Hence leading to whisky that is described as “hot”, regardless of the actual ABV percentage.)

Fans of peated whiskies should also be aware that peatiness decreases over time.  The phenol levels in the spirit reduce with years in the wood (there’s that subtractive process again!) and so those wanting to experience the real “smoke bombs” should be seeking younger whiskies and not necessarily older releases.

Only oak may be used for the storage of Scotch whisky. There are two main types of oak used for barrel making and another two used for variety, i.e., less often.

BARREL MAINTENANCE AT LOCH LOMOND DISTILLERY

The Cooperage And Loch Lomond’s Unique Barrel Maintenance

Loch Lomond’s distillery owns its own cooperage, ensuring that barrel repairs and charring are carried out to an exacting standard so every cask is perfect for maturing the Loch Lomond spirit.

Coopering of casks is an age-old skill, the nuances of which have seen little change over the centuries. Loch Lomond is one of only four distilleries in Scotland to have their own on-site cooperage. Their team of seasoned professionals and apprentices carefully manage the quality of all of the casks to ensure that the whisky is maintained to the highest possible standards.

An expert team examines every new cask that arrives on-site and carry out repairs and maintenance on oak casks from all over the world.  They even rejuvenate casks using a De-char / Re-char (DCRC) process. Each year, this team maintains and repairs over 30,000 casks, which is absolutely vital in creating quality and consistency in whisky maturation.

The De-char / Re-char Process (DCRC)

Many distilleries will have a cooper or two on site to repair the odd cask, however when Loch Lomond says ‘Full service’, they mean that the experienced team of 8 fully qualified coopers and three apprentices will check every new cask that comes on site, repair any casks from Bourbon to Sherry Butt AND rejuvenate casks using their DCRC process.  

This whole process gives exact control over another element in the production of our whisky – which creates consistency, quality and allows Loch Lomond to really showcase their signature whisky style of fruit, honey sweetness and soft smoke.

Most distilleries will tell you that they will use a cask 3 times. But such are the capabilities within Loch Lomond’s cooperage and their confidence in the experience of their coopers that at Loch Lomond they can use a cask up to a maximum of 9 times! Three times for malt, the casks will then come into the cooperage to be checked, repaired if required, DCRC and then used three times for grain. Back into the cooperage to be checked, repaired if required, DCRC and then a further three times for grain. Consider that if the spirit is only in the cask for 6 years each time then they are using that cask for over 50 years.

Coopering of casks is a skill that hasn’t changed much in centuries and this is probably best reflected in the tools the team uses at their stations. Coopering is a very physical job and the few modernisations/mechanisations seen help to remove some of the most manual elements – helping to prolong the career of a cooper but also protecting their H&S.

What is De-Charring?

Loch Lomond Distillery was the first Scottish distillery to have this set up and the first to install this type of de-char machine.  All casks that they receive will have a level of char; most commonly, ex-bourbon casks come with a heavy char. This machine uses a Stainless-Steel wire brush that rotates and is moved up and down the cask as the machine rotates it (the cask). to the goal is to remove the char from the cask whilst taking the minimum amount of wood possible. This leaves a clean, consistent surface ready for a fresh char. The char is vacuumed out during the process but a little is always left at the bottom of the cask.

What is Re-charring?

The re-char machine uses a flame gun to char the inside of the cask. Many factors impact how long this takes and the skill of the Cooper is to use their experience and control the level of char that each cask gets depending on what is required by the distilling team. They char a cask for anything from 2-3 minutes for a medium char up to 5 or 6 minutes for a heavy, alligator char.

During the process, the nature of the flame changes:

Beginning will often be an orange flame with a blue/green tinge. This is burning of any alcohol in the cask

Charring – The team knows the cask itself is charring when the flame is a full bright orange flame and they can hear the crackles and pops. This means the cask itself is now alight. For medium char, the flames are extinguished using a spray of water but for heavy char we will turn off the flame and let the cask burn itself out.

Each cask that is re-charred has a chalk number on both the top and the cask ensuring that when the two are reunited that the correct top is married back to its cask as each top is a slightly different size and fit. They often re-char dozens of casks per day and this is the simplest way to keep them together. The casks are then taken next door to be finally tightened and pressure tested.

De- char / Re-char Vs Shaved Toasted Re-charred Casks

What are the key differences?

Loch Lomond does not ‘shave’ casks – the de-char machine uses steel brushes, removing the minimum amount of wood required, ensuring the integrity of the cask!

Shaved Toasted Re-charred casks have historically been ex-wine; ALL Loch Lomond re-chars are ex-bourbon.

Re-char uses higher temperatures to caramelise the wood sugars faster than the gentler toasting approach.

How The Cooperage Supports Loch Lomond’s Unique Whisky Character

Having one’s own Cooperage has two main benefits. First and foremost – it's all about quality. Having a team of dedicated coopers managing casks means that the Master Blender can ensure more consistent maturation year on year to maintain the signature style of Loch Lomond. Secondly, it helps in innovation and flavour creation. Steam & Fire for example uses heavily charred casks to impart additional sweetness into the whisky – something they do using the skill and craft of the cooperage to elevate the signature character of Loch Lomond Whisky.