November 14, 2023 –––––– Julia Higgins, , , ,
When distillers present their whiskies, the barrel is almost always the co-star of the show. You’ll hear a lot of different barrel names tossed about—quarter casks, hogsheads, barriques, butts, pipes, and puncheons. But how often do you really know what they mean? Or perhaps you learned it once and have since forgotten. Either way, the mind sometimes zooms past all that and focuses on tasting the whisky. Channeling our inner whisky nerd, we’ve put together the specifics on cask types used for whisky, and the vast differences between them, to help enhance your tasting pleasure.
Quarter Cask
Size: 13-21 gallons
Who uses these: Back in the 19th century, quarter casks—so named for their size, being a quarter of the standard barrel—were the choice barrel type among Scottish and American distillers, as they were easy to transport on horseback, and allowed for shorter maturation time (the smaller barrel size means the whisky is subject to more wood contact, getting imbued with those heady oak flavors over an expedited period of time). These days, quarter casks have fallen out of favor a bit, as they can quickly make a whisky over-oaked. But there are distilleries of various sizes that still use them—among them Laphroaig, which offers Quarter Cask, a single malt that’s first aged in bourbon barrels and then finished in quarter casks, as well as independent bottler Duncan Taylor.
American Standard Barrel
Size: 53 gallons
Who uses these: As the name implies, this barrel is made from American white oak and favored by American distillers for the flavors they impart, and their near-ubiquitous availability. American standard barrels are the most commonly used, be it in the U.S. or abroad; generally, the new barrels are used by bourbon makers and then sold to distillers or winemakers in the U.S. and overseas, namely because they can’t be reused to age bourbon. They’re most often reused for whisky, but also occasionally for rum, tequila, or even wine. While all oak barrels will yield flavors of vanilla, spice, and some fruit, there are differences from one oak species to another, and American oak swings toward sweeter flavors, with pronounced notes of toffee, caramel, baking spices, vanilla extract, and coconut.
Hogshead
Size: 59-66 gallons
Who uses these: Hogsheads are key for scotch distillers. In Scotland, it’s common practice for a selection of five barrels (most often bourbon barrels, though others can be used) to be broken down into staves, then Frankenstein’d back together into a slightly larger barrel with new ends, in what’s known as a hogshead. (The name “hogshead” comes from an old English term, “hogges hede,” which was a unit of measurement equivalent to 63 gallons.) Why revamp the barrels in the first place? It’s a practice undertaken primarily for subtler flavor—converting previously used barrels into larger vessels with some new parts means that those initial heavy char, sherried, rum, or other flavors will be far more tempered within scotch, as there’s slightly less whisky-to-wood contact. But given that hogsheads start their lives as barrels that once held other spirits or wine, those existing flavors will still be in play.
Barrique
Size: 59 gallons
Who uses these: A barrique refers to a standard size wine barrel, having capacity of 225 liters. This barrel type was made famous in Bordeaux—which is why it’s also referred to as a Bordeaux barrel—but today vintners across the globe use barriques to age all sorts of wine. Given that they originated in France, barriques are most often made from French oak, though there are outliers made from American oak. French oak remains the primary choice for barriques, as it’s more delicate and less dense, diffusing dry, subtle flavors of oak spice, tobacco, chocolate, and fruit into a whisky. Barriques offer whisky makers an opportunity to add additional complexity and flavor to the liquid, which is why they’re favored for creative finishes by distillers around the world.
Port Pipe
Size: 132-172 gallons
Who uses these: Port-finished whiskies are no rare breed these days, with distillers all over the world valuing port pipes for the berry, stewed fruit, chocolate, and nutty flavors they can imbue in a whisky. Typically, port pipes—which come from Portugal—are made from French oak, and in addition to being far larger than standard barrels, they’re also elongated, which means a whisky will have less contact with the wood. Scotch whisky makers are among the biggest fans of port finishing—look no further than Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban or GlenDronach Port Wood, where port pipes are front and center. In recent years, American whiskey makers have turned to them in droves to finish their bourbons, single malts, ryes, and other whiskey styles.
Sherry Butt
Size: 132 gallons
Who uses these: Like their Portuguese counterparts, sherry butts are beloved by distillers everywhere for the array of flavors they add to whisky, running the gamut from stewed fruit to nuttiness to brine. Traditionally, sherry butts are made from either Spanish or American oak, with American oak being more popular. They’re similar in structure to port pipes—taller and more slender than an American barrel, allowing for lower wood-to-spirit contact. While oloroso sherry butts are by far the most commonly used by whisky makers, with Pedro Ximénez (PX) a somewhat close second, distillers also tap into other sherry styles, including fino, manzanilla, amontillado, palo cortado, and moscatel. PX and oloroso butts add a lot of sweetness and dark fruit to whisky, whereas a drier sherry, such as manzanilla or fino, make the liquid more delicate, bringing out citrus, salt, or nut flavors. While some distillers age a whisky entirely in sherry butts—Tamdhu, Glenfarclas, Highland Park Dark Origins and Kavalan Solist Sherry are some famous examples—most use them as a finishing touch.
