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This category is a particular favourite of mine, the road of adventure! You see, whisky is generally aged in ex-bourbon barrels, sometimes with a sherry cask finish, this is a great formula, it has created the world's finest and most renowned whiskies.
But, for me, I love the whiskies that don’t follow suit. More and more, whisky is aged in casks previously used for port, wine, ale, stout, rum, tequila, mezcal and many more besides. I’d say give the following a try…
Aged in cider brandy barrels, this whisky is sweet, fruity and floral. It’s like a glass of sunshine to be honest, you can taste apple and lemon, which doesn’t overpower the malt, but adds a fresh, clean and crisp feel to it.
This is a great whiskey. Even as a concept, you take the 10-year-old Talisker, a peppery maritime whisky with a lovely smoky kick, then you age it in port pipes. Bravo. The dark fruity twist makes this a firm favourite of mine.
This is a dessert of a whisky, this is about as sweet as whisky gets. Aged in rum casks, the flavour I taste the most is candy, it has all the Glenlivet usuals, it's still quite malty and there's a fresh apple flavour in the background, but this is all under a coat of sugar. If you are a sweet tooth, this one is for you.
The title gives it away a bit, but the pale ale casks add a nice hoppy note that I think is really nice. I’m saying this as someone who prefers darker ales, so if you’re a pale ale fan, I’d give this one a go.
As a side note, Jura make whiskies in various casks, including red wine, rum and a few more besides, If you are yearning for a bit of variety, Jura might be your distillery.
I had to include this one. I’ve tried to stay on the cheaper side of things generally, but this one had to be included. I’ve never tasted a whisky quite like this one. Some of the flavours in the Islay section may catch you by surprise, but this whisky is even more ‘out there’.
The whisky is aged in bourbon casks, like nearly every whisky on the market, nothing new there. What makes it unique is how it is kilned, they use botanicals like juniper berries, birch bark and heather flowers. I tasted peppermint, liquorice and menthol… yes, you read right. All I’ll say is give it a go.
