Today’s drink menus and liquor store shelves are filled with dozens of whiskies finished in secondary casks. It’s an impressive sight to behold, especially for a practice that has only been around for a little more than 20 years.
David Stewart, Master Blender for The Balvenie, is credited for being one of the very first distillers to experiment with secondary maturation using casks that previously held other spirits.
”We were already using American and European oak casks, but I wondered how it would turn out if we just re-casked some American oak-matured whisky into sherry butts,” Stewart recalled.
That first experiment, back in 1983, led to the creation of what is now known as Balvenie DoubleWood.
Since the development of DoubleWood, Balvenie, as well as parent company William Grant & Son’s other whiskey brands – Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey and Glenfiddich Single Malt – have all continued to innovate with different finishing casks.
The Balvenie has gone on to release a port cask-finished Scotch whisky, as well as additional sherry-finished offerings.
Last fall, Tullamore D.E.W released Tullamore D.E.W. Cider Cask, a light and sweet marriage of Irish triple-distilled whiskey and vanilla-noted apple cider casks.
Out of the three distilleries, it is perhaps Glenfiddich that has been the most deliciously rebellious with its finishing process.
Over the past three years, Glenfiddich has released Scotch whiskies finished in bourbon barrels, India pale ale casks, ice wine casks, as well as two different rum cask-finished whiskies, including the just released Fire & Cane.
Fire & Cane is just the latest Caribbean-inspired whisky from William Grant & Sons, joining Tullamore D.E.W. XO Rum Cask Finish and Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask. It is an impressive trio, and one that your customers are sure to find to be quiet the treat.
We all know that tasting is believing, so reach out today to your Breakthru Sales Consultant to try these tropical whiskies for yourself. Until then, here are a few tasting notes to get your mind – and palate – set to island time.
Glenfiddich Fire & Cane
Glenfiddich Fire & Cane is a marriage of peated and non-peated whiskies that have been finished in sweet South American rum casks for three to four months. The resulting whisky exudes both campfire smokiness and toffee sweetness, making it seductively rich as well as easy to drink.
Nose: It starts with billowing soft peat notes, like distant campfire smoke carried by the wind. Soon after, notes of sweet toffee, zesty fresh fruit and spiciness fire off for attention.
Palate: On the tongue it starts like a Highland campfire, with notes of oak and toffee. There’s additional depth as well with hints of sharp green fruit, sweet baked apples and additional smoke.
Finish: Long and lingering sweet smoke
Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish
Tullamore D.E.W. XO starts off with Tullamore D.E.W.’s original triple blend of pot still, malt and grain Irish whiskey. That beautiful blend is then finished in first-fill XO Demerara rum casks, which impart layers of sweetness and tropical fruit into the final spirit.
Nose: The aroma is a bouquet of warm vanilla and woody oak, intertwined with citrus, ripe bananas and tropical spice.
Palate: On the tongue, it is remarkably smooth and creamy, slowly revealing flavors of dark caramel, banana, exotic dates and raisins.
Finish: Those notes of bananas and caramel welcomingly linger for a long while.
The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask
The idea behind The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask was sparked from Stewart’s curiosity to experiment with his own blend of select West Indian rum. To create the spirit, Stewart sources a selection of different rums from the West Indies, which are poured into new American oak barrels to season the wood. When Stewart feels the barrels are seasoned enough, he removes the rum and replaces it with 14 year old Balvenie single malt Scotch. The resulting spirit has the grit and character of traditional Balvenie whisky, but with the added character of warm fruits and tropical spice.
Nose: Rich and creamy caramel toffee combined with notes of passion fruit, mango, pineapple and other tropical fruits
Palate: The flavor is well-rounded with layers of vanilla, sweet oak and a distinguished fruity character that develops further as the whisky warms and opens.
Finish: Notes of vanilla linger until the next sip.