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.
When I first came across ‘Colombian Oak’ I was immediately intrigued. The maturation of whisky has for decades been dominated by American and European Oak but more recently other species have been experimented with in a quest for innovation. Commonly found in the foothills of the Colombian Andes, this white oak is sometimes called ‘Andean Oak’ and has been used for generations for the maturation of rum and brandy produced in Latin America.
Royal Brackla is a naturally fruity style of spirit but has a depth to it that allows it to prosper with richer flavours from the wood. The final result in this single cask is a whisky with a combination of earthy and herbal notes alongside juicy tropical fruits.
Colombian Oak offers a balance between the richness and spices of European Oak combined with the vanilla and delicacy of American Oak.
I’m incredibly excited to share this unique maturation with our Finn Thomson Whisky community and I’m confident that after trying this Royal Brackla there will be huge excitement for this type of wood influence for future releases.
When I first came across ‘Colombian Oak’ I was immediately intrigued. The maturation of whisky has for decades been dominated by American and European Oak but more recently other species have been experimented with in a quest for innovation. Commonly found in the foothills of the Colombian Andes, this white oak is sometimes called ‘Andean Oak’ and has been used for generations for the maturation of rum and brandy produced in Latin America.
Royal Brackla is a naturally fruity style of spirit but has a depth to it that allows it to prosper with richer flavours from the wood. The final result in this single cask is a whisky with a combination of earthy and herbal notes alongside juicy tropical fruits.
Colombian Oak offers a balance between the richness and spices of European Oak combined with the vanilla and delicacy of American Oak.
I’m incredibly excited to share this unique maturation with our Finn Thomson Whisky community and I’m confident that after trying this Royal Brackla there will be huge excitement for this type of wood influence for future releases.