WHISKEY WHISKEY CASKS 101 CASKS 101
up to of a whiskey’s final flavor is believed to come 80% from the cask(s) it matures in.
Climate conditions directly affect the maturation process, and whiskeys aged in warmer climates tend to age faster than whiskeys aged in cooler climates.
Humidity also impacts the way a whiskey matures. Dry environments tend to produce whiskeys that are higher in alcohol content.
60%
or more of the whiskey aging in a cask could potentially be lost to evaporation, depending on the climate and maturation period. This evaporation is commonly referred to as the Angel’s Share.
200 95% liters of volume in a bourbon barrel, the most of scotch whisky is rumored to be maturing in popular cask size used in whiskey production. ex-bourbon barrels made of American white oak.
CASK SIZES 101 There are many different types of casks, of varying sizes and shapes, used in whiskey production around the world. These casks are made by craftsmen known as coopers, and the facilities that the casks are made in are called cooperages. Due to their hand-crafted nature, actual cask sizes may vary from cooperage to cooperage.
Cask size matters when aging whiskey, as smaller casks provide a larger liquid-to-wood ratio and thus tend to mature whiskeys quicker—which isn’t always better. Nevertheless, producers may sometimes mature their whiskeys in a combination of casks to produce the flavor profiles they seek.
Below is a list of various casks used around the world to make whiskey. The images shown are sized proportionately relative to each other, to give you a sense of how they compare in the real world.
Bloodtub 13 US gallon / 11 Imp gallon / 50 liter One of the smallest cask sizes, the bloodtub is typically used for brewing beer, and rarely these days for aging whiskey.
Quarter Cask 33 US gallon / 27 Imp gallon / 125 liter Similar to the American bourbon barrel, but at a quarter of the size. Whiskey aged in quarter casks tends to mature quicker due to a larger liquid-to-wood ratio.
Barrel (American Bourbon) 53 US gallon / 44 Imp gallon / 200 liter The American Standard Barrel (ASB), known as the bourbon barrel, is made from American white oak and is the most common cask used in whiskey production.
Barrique (Bordeaux Type) 59 US gallon / 49 Imp gallon / 225 liter A commonly used cask size for maturing wine, typically made of French oak. Also used for finishing whiskey.
Hogshead 63 US gallon / 52 Imp gallon / 225 liter Believed to be named after the size of an ox’s head, the hogshead is a popular cask used in both the wine and whiskey trades, and made of either French or American oak.
Barrique (Cognac Type) 79 US gallon / 66 Imp gallon / 300 liter A commonly used cask size for maturing wine as well as cognac, the cognac type barrique cask is also frequently used to age whiskey.
Puncheon 85 US gallon / 70 Imp gallon / 320 liter Shorter and squatter than a butt, puncheon casks are made from spare staves, either from thick American oak (rum) or from thinner Spanish oak (sherry), and used to finish whiskey.
Port Pipe / Butt 132 US gallon / 109 Imp gallon / 500 liter Made typically of American or Spanish oak, butt casks are often used for aging sherry and for transport. Port pipes are squatter than a butt, and used for aging port. Both are commonly used to finish whiskey.
Madeira Drum 172 US gallon / 143 Imp gallon / 650 liter Big, squat and fat, these casks are primarily used to age Madeira wine, and infrequently for finishing whiskey.
Gorda 185 US gallon / 154 Imp gallon / 700 liter With origins in the American whiskey trade, gorda casks are no longer common, but are occasionally used to marry scotch whiskies.
Tun 252 US gallon / 210 Imp gallon / 960 liter Double the capacity of a butt, these huge casks are commonly used with wine and beer, and less so for whiskey due to their sheer size. Nevertheless, enterprising distillers have found ways to use tuns for marrying vatted whiskeys.
SOURCES
whisky.com whiskyadvocate.com bruichladdich.com diffordsguide.com wikipedia.org
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