As a cask comes to maturity, Finn curates sampling sessions in interesting and relaxing environments, with friends, whisky experts and trusted partners to discover the personality of each cask and gauge the experience each dram evokes.
All the best distillers pride themselves on crafting whisky with a distinctive flavour, which is determined by the water source, grain and barley, the peat and malting, and their distilling processes. High quality original spirit is integral to every cask we bottle.
The cask itself interacts with the whisky over time. The type of wood plays a big role, as do treatments such as the whiskies are aged in a variety of types of casks. The whiskies are aged in former sherry or bourbon casks, augmenting the cask influence. External conditions such as air temperature, pressure and humidity also interact with the cask producing a knock-on effect that makes the spirit inside unique.
Finn uses these factors to balance each FT whisky experience. He may sample a cask and decide to leave it on the rack, allowing age to further develop its personality. He might decide to re-rack a whisky in a new cask to add a finishing touch. Or, he might simply deem it ready. When Finn decides the flavour is perfectly balanced, it’s time to bottle the whisky.
The trademark vanilla influences of the bourbon are front and centre here and with every sip I’ve been brought back to childhood days eating vanilla ice cream from the Allan Water Cafe in Bridge of Allan where I grew up.
Mannochmore is a distillery that produces an incredibly light style of whisky and the spirit can be easily overwhelmed by overly active casks. It therefore requires a carefully chosen cask to bring out the best of this light and gentle distillate.
The humble bourbon cask whisky is often overlooked these days by whisky drinkers in pursuit of heavily sherried or peated malts. Yet it is still estimated that almost 90% of Scotch whisky goes into wood that was once used for maturing bourbon. It has therefore become more and more fashionable for drinkers and producers alike to go in
search of alternative casks types to stand out from the crowd.
This light style is a match made in heaven for a well chosen bourbon cask though. This is a whisky that showcases the best of a style of whisky that is often
overlooked but deserves so much more credit when it is done well.
The trademark vanilla influences of the bourbon are front and centre here and with every sip I’ve been brought back to childhood days eating vanilla ice cream from the Allan Water Cafe in Bridge of Allan where I grew up.
Mannochmore is a distillery that produces an incredibly light style of whisky and the spirit can be easily overwhelmed by overly active casks. It therefore requires a carefully chosen cask to bring out the best of this light and gentle distillate.
The humble bourbon cask whisky is often overlooked these days by whisky drinkers in pursuit of heavily sherried or peated malts. Yet it is still estimated that almost 90% of Scotch whisky goes into wood that was once used for maturing bourbon. It has therefore become more and more fashionable for drinkers and producers alike to go in
search of alternative casks types to stand out from the crowd.
This light style is a match made in heaven for a well chosen bourbon cask though. This is a whisky that showcases the best of a style of whisky that is often
overlooked but deserves so much more credit when it is done well.