Top 10 unusual whisky cask finishes

From herring barrels to maple syrup containers, SB has sorted through experimental endeavours and bizarre bottlings to reveal 10 of the most curious casks to have housed whisky over the years.

We reveal 10 of the most unusual whisky cask finishes

Distillers, by nature, are driven by a desire to bin the rulebook and create something groundbreaking – and without their continuous pursuit of the unknown, it’s likely that for many of us our favourite tipples would not exist.

However, as you’ll discover across the following pages, this playfulness has also resulted in the creation of a wealth of wacky whiskies – ranging from Tabasco barrel finishes to herring (yes, herring) cask ageing.

Click through the following pages to discover our pick of the top 10 whiskies with unusual cask finishes. 

Mosswood Espresso Barrel American Whisky

Not sure whether you fancy coffee or whiskey? Have both with this limited edition expression, made using a 7-year-old American whiskey distilled in Tennessee as the base. Once matured, the liquid is finished in a barrel seasoned with Espresso Roast from Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco. The resulting Bourbon boasts notes of milk chocolate, roasted nuts, red fruits and coffee, and is offers “hints of coffee balanced against a sweet undertone” on the finish.

Fishky

Yes, this is exactly what you think it is. Made by independent bottler Stupid Cask, Fishky is a Bruichladdich single cask whisky finished in a barrel that once held herring. Apparently the creation was inspired by a rumour that Scottish distillers once used fish casks to house their whisky. Regrettably, we’ve not had the pleasure of sampling this fishy delight, but the chaps at Whisky Cast have, and this is what they had to say: “The nose hides the secrets of this whisky well, with notes of malt, brine, and heather. The taste reveals all, though, with sour butyric baby vomit, brine, and stomach acid. The finish is salty, greasy, and nasty with no redeeming qualities.”

Mackmyra Midvinter

On to something a little more appealing… Swedish whisky brand Mackmyra created a whisky finished in a combination of Bordeaux wine, sherry and mulled-wine casks, called Mackmyra Midvinter. Produced at the Mackmyra Distillery outside of Gävle in Sweden, the single malt expression offers notes of “mid-winter spice” with “juicy red fruit” and citrus notes.

Beer Barrel Bourbon

 

The relationship between the worlds of whisky and beer is a curious one, made even more curious with the creation of New Holland Brewing’s, Beer Barrel Bourbon. The Michigan-based distillery ages Bourbon in new American oak barrels before finishing the liquid in second-use Dragon’s Milk beer barrels for 90 days. The process is said to lend “biscuity notes and a smooth malt character” to the existing flavours of toffee and caramel.

Westland Inferno

It may have been launched on April Fool’s Day, but Westland Distillery’s Inferno whisky – a single malt aged in a Tabasco barrel – is no laughing matter. The distillery’s website offers five key tasting notes: Stage I: Brined Hesitation, Stage II: The Point Of No Return, Stage III: Vegetal Regret, Stage IV: Peppery Penance, and Stage V: Utter Despair. Make of that what you will.

Roundstone Rye Maple Finished Cask Proof

One of the quirkier expressions created by Catoctic Creek in the name of “research and development”, this whisky is created by finishing ‘cask proof’ Roundstone Rye in a Langdon Wood maple syrup barrel. According to Catoctin, the resulting liquid is “not cloying or sweet”, but instead offers “a smooth maple flavour that blends perfectly into the whisky”, with “a maple finish that goes on, and on, and on, and on…”.

The Arran Malt, Grand Cru Champagne Finish

Every year, Isle of Arran malt master Gordon Mitchell selects a series of casks that he deems to have matured to an exceptionally high standard. In 2005, this was one of his picks: a single malt finished in a cask that previously held Grand Cru Champagne from Henri Giraud in Aÿ. A limited edition release comprising just 307 bottles, this particular expression is now nigh-on impossible to source.

Brenne French Single Malt Whisky

Created at a small farm distillery in Cognac, France, Brenne French Single Malt Whisky is first laid to rest in French Limousin oak casks – which impart notes of “oaky chocolate” and caramel – before it is finished in freshly-emptied Cognac barrels. This unique process is said to add flavours of sweet vanilla which “balance out the spicy notes of organic, malted barley”, with a “slightly perfumey aroma”.

Private Collection Caol Ila 1990 Demerara Rum Finish

Private Collection is a range of single malt whiskies personally selected by the directors of Gordon & MacPhail to highlight how maturation in different casks can “change and compliment” single malts. While many distilleries play with rum casks, this particular expression, finished in a Demerara rum cask, is a much more unusual find. The robust peaty flavours associated with Islay whisky are said to compliment the sweet rum notes released by the cask.

Benromach 21 Year Old Tokaji Wood Finish

Tokaji wines are produced in a very small region in north-east Hungary and south-east Slovakia, so the barrels are relatively scarce. These “nectar-like” dessert wines bring a “sweet, fruity” element to Benromach 21 Year Old, and the resulting whisky is said to offer notes of ripe fruits and rich sherry balanced with spices and a “drying smokiness”.