Cask for whisky aging
Cask Size
There are several different size cask for whisky aging. Smaller cask add flavor on whisky quicker.
Quarter Cask 45-50L
Barrel 190-200L
Hogshead 225-250L
Barrique 250-300L
Puncheon 450-500L
Sherry Butt 500L
Port Pipe 550-650L
Madeira Drum 600-650L
Used cask
Whisky use cask which was used for various different alcohol drink aging.
Bourbon cask
Bourbon must use new cask with burned inside for aging. So used Bourbon cask is exported for other whisky aging purpose.
It is most popular cask for whisky aging.
It adds crispy flavor.
Sherry cask
Sherry cask is often use for whisky aging.
Actually there are several different type sherry (Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso, Moscatel, Fino, Amontillado). But most popular cask for whisky is Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez.
It adds rich sweet flavor.
Seasoning sherry cask
Serious shortage of sherry casks is big problem in the whiskey industry today.
Sherry bodegas are producing sherry cask for whisky aging according to whisky distillery request today.
This cask is called as Seasoning Cask.
Fortified Wine Cask
Cask of other fortified wines is also used for whisky aging.
Other fortified wine mean Port, Madeira, Marsala, VDM and VDL.
Wine Cask
Both red & white wine cask are used for whisky aging.
Red wine cask is normally rich taste full body one like Bordeaux, Pomerol, Barolo, Pomerol and Amarone.
White wine cask is also normally rich sweet taste sweet like Sauternes.
Other Cask
Spirits cask is also used for whisky aging. Brandy, Calvados and Rum cask are used for whisky aging. Tequila and Shochu cask are also rarely used.
Beer cask and coffee cask also used.
Cask Material Oak
Sessile oak
(Quercus petraea)
It contains good balance tannin, vanillin and oak lacton. It adds light fruity and spicy flavor.
In France, Allier common oak is most popular sessile oak. It is used for Bordeaux and Bourgogne wine aging because fine annual rings enable limited air transmission and slow aging.
Cask requires 120-200 year age oak tree.
Common Oak
(Quercus robur)
It is porousand and contains rich tannin and polyphenol and less vanillin and oak lacton. It adds heavy fruity flavor like dry fruit.
Spanish common oak cask is used as sherry cask for whisky aging because most of heavy sherry (Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso) cask is made by it.
In France, Limousin is most popular common oak. It is used for cognac aging because wide annual rings enable higher air transmission and
Cask requires 200-260 year age oak tree.
American White Oak
(Quercus Alba)
It has rich vanillin and oak lacton and less tannin. It add vanilla and coconut flavor.
America white oak cask is used as bourbon cask for whisky aging because almost all Bourbon cask is made by it and burned inside.
Some new cask is also used for whisky aging.
Cask requires 80-100 year age oak tree.
Mizunara Oak
It is most oak lacton rich oak. It has also vanillin, tannin and other flavor contents. It add spicy acid taste and flavor of oriental fragrant wood like Kyara or sandalwood.
Mizunara grows around Japan but cool weather is favorable so most famous Mizunara oak for cask is in Hokkaido.
It is very difficult to make cask from Mizunara because Mizunara wood is very hard to bend and more risk of leakage. Mizunara cask is most expensive cask because it requires 200-300 years age tree and Mizunara oak often grown bend.
Custom Cask
There are several "XXX head cask" like "Mizunara head cask" today. This type cask has replaced head part from original. New head is normally rich flavor material.
XXX head cask is often used for XXX cask finish. A few year aging after 1st aging in other cask.