Q & A

This is a new section dedicated to any nagging questions you may have regarding this illustrious spirit. Whether it be about the value of a bottle your grandfather gave you or about your favorite distillery, I'll do my best to answer it for you. So send them in! 

You can mail them to andrew@caskstrength.ca

Slainte!

Andrew

Q:  Do they char all whisky barrel/casks?

A: Short and to the point...I like it.

So the cask is where all the magic happens in the making of whisky. Oak is the wood of choice. A mix of availability, durability and tradition  have made the oak cask the only vessel used to mature Scottish whisky in. The oak is unusable in its raw state. once it is milled it is then dried. Preferably this will happen naturally in the air, though due to demand it is sometimes sped up in a wood kiln.

It is then toasted for around 30mins, to accelerate the wood breaking down. this will allow spirit to penetrate the wood, and thusly react and change s it matures. Further to this once the barrel or cask is assembled, just before putting the final steel bands are put on it, it is exposed to direct flame for 2-5 minutes depending on the requirement. This chars the interior black and creates that beautiful little micro-filter which aids in mellowing the whisky.

The charring is mandatory in Bourbon making, and followed in Scotland........

EXCEPT when you are dealing with sherry, port or any other delicate wine cask. These casks are toasted and not typically charred as it would sour or taint the rich grapey notes hiding in the wood..

So there you go!

Cheers,

Andrew