CUT AND CASK
THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF THINGS THAT WILL DETERMINE HOW A WHISKY WILL TASTE WHEN IT FINALLY REACHES THE BOTTLE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE BULK OF THE WORK COMES UNDER TWO VERY LARGE HEADINGS.
THE CUT AND THE CASK.
THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF THINGS THAT WILL DETERMINE HOW A WHISKY WILL TASTE WHEN IT FINALLY REACHES THE BOTTLE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE BULK OF THE WORK COMES UNDER TWO VERY LARGE HEADINGS.
THE CUT AND THE CASK.
The CUT is made by the distilling team at the distillery of origin, in Scotland. This part of the process is out-with our control but instead in the hands of the people that know the whisky best. Under the banner of CUT we can include a number of processes and materials that will determine the flavour journey of the whisky and what the new make will taste like once the CUT has been made.
This starts with the raw materials used. Careful consideration is used by the distillers when selecting these materials such as Malted Barley and Peat...
The next stage involves fermentation length. The length of the fermentation will have an impact on what flavours will be present when the cut is made. A longer fermentation will result in some slightly more acidic flavours, while a shorter fermentation will produce more esters and fruity notes.The size and shape of the still will also impact the flavour. A column still will give a lighter, clean spirit where a copper pot still will give off more robust flavours.
The angle of the lyne arm on the still will also impact the whisky on its flavour journey dependent on the amount of reflux, where condensed spirit falls back into the wash.
All this must be considered when deciding when to make the CUT. As the whisky comes over still we first encounter the Foreshots. Once the potentially poisonous foreshots have concluded we can then start collecting spirit.
The distiller must accurately decide when to make the cut based on the desired flavour outcome. The earlier the Cut the more fruity and estersy the whisky will be. The longer we collect spirit the abv drops away and more savory notes start to come over the still, potentially diluting some of the more desirable fruity notes.
READ MOREOnce the cut is made the whisky is filled into oak casks where it slips into a peaceful slumber until the time is right to bottle.
When it comes to the final flavour profile of the whisky there is little doubt that the quality of a cask is incredibly important. The integration between wood and spirit not only gives rise to some amazing flavours, but also extracts some of the unwanted sulphur notes...
These interactions between wood and spirit release a number of compounds such as vanillin’s and tannins as well as lipids which give coconut and wood notes. Finally hemi-cellulose will add body and colour to the spirit.
Finishing whisky is to remove the spirit from one cask and fill it into another specially selected cask that our experts believe will mature and improve the whisky. This ensures that any single cask bottling of The Cut and The Cask has been well thought out has been a marriage between the skill of the distillers and a specially selected cask to bring the very best whisky to market.
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