scotch whiskey:
Much has been written about the kashrus of whisky distilled in Scotland. Many aspects of this topic are unclear, causing widespread lack of knowledge among the general public. Many people rely on the fact that we have confidently been drinking whisky without a hechsher for many years now so we can continue to do so. The truth is that there are numerous shailos. Thus, we deemed it fitting to elaborate on the topic b’ezras Hashem.
4. Many years ago, sherry casks came into popular use. These are barrels that a sweet, red wine called sherry, produced from Spanish grapes, sat in. The reason these casks were used was because sherry wine was imported to Scotland in barrels, where it was subsequently bottled. The empty sherry casks were widely available, so they were utilized for whisky maturation. Later, they started bottling sherry in Spain and there were no longer empty sherry casks for use in Scotland, so distilleries started using bourbon casks and the like. But whisky connoisseurs and enthusiasts noticed the flavor difference in their beloved drink and demanded that sherry casks be used once again – they missed the original, cherished flavor.
5. Expensive. Sherry casks are ten times more expensive than bourbon casks. Even so, whisky producers buy them; the investment is worth it for them to produce the quality whisky that their customers love. Some distilleries fill their barrels with sherry to make their own sherry casks; others lease their casks to sherry producers with the goal of ultimately using them for whisky.
6. Second aging. Some distilleries first age their whisky in bourbon casks, but then they take the trouble to transfer them to sherry casks for a second or third aging. This delays the process for a certain amount of time, e.g., six months, to improve the whisky and finish it with the delicate sherry flavor. This demonstrates that the distilleries are clearly interested in obtaining the sherry flavor.
7. They advertise and take pride in sherry casks. Distilleries take pride in and advertise their use of sherry casks. This usually appears on the whisky label, which describes how the sherry flavor can be detected. This enables them to mark up the price of the whisky.
8. Improved flavor. We can see from all the above, and we know from the connoisseurs, that they sherry absorbed in the walls of the barrels imparts a superior flavor to the whisky. It enhances, enriches, and accentuates the whisky with its flavoring.