If you’re not familiar with a ‘whisky finish’, then let us very quickly explain what it is. It’s when the spirit is aged in a cask from a certain origin, before being moved to a different cask for further maturation. More often than not you’ll find American oak ex-Bourbon barrels have been used for the first cask, but it’s often with the second cask that more unusual flavours come into play.
One of our favourites for this whisky finish is wine, but there’s a hell of a lot of inconsistency with the results. It’s no simple task aging whisky with wine, so if it sounds like it might be up your street, here are a few of our absolute favourites worth seeking out.
Black Bottle Double Cask Alchemy Series
Two blends intertwine to create this; a malt whisky matured in Spanish sherry casks and a grain whisky matured in red wine casks. As a result, the red fruits and berries are influential from nose to finish, but they are balanced out by vanilla and nutty notes. This is delightfully sweet wine finished whisky and we love the bottle too!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.3%
Find here: £25.75
Tamnavulin Red Wine Cask Edition
This splendid whisky is matured in American oak barrels and finished in French Cabernet Sauvignon casks imparting gorgeous notes of apple, honey, vanilla, and sweet red berry. It’s beautifully balanced because the mellow Tamnavulin works so well with the expressive fruity sweetness.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £33.74
Tullibardine 225 Sauternes Cask Finish
This is a gloriously golden single malt distilled in the Scottish Highlands finished in a 225-litre cask - hence the name! These casks used to hold Sauternes dessert wine, so it’s no surprise that this whisky is particularly creamy and citrusy, with traces of sweet spice lingering on the finish. It would work really nicely for a fruitier Irish Coffee.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £39.90
Linkwood 12 Year Old 2008 Bordeaux Edition
A fairly rare dram with a total of 358 bottles produced, it was distilled at Linkwood in Speyside and finished in a Bordeaux wine barrique (a fancier way of saying oak barrel, but particularly used for wines like Bordeaux). There’s a lot of very alluring baking notes with this one, including gentle spice, buttery pastry, baked apples and rich red fruits. The finish in particular is very warming with touches of roasted nut, pepper, and nutmeg. Super sippable!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £49.95
Green Spot Château Léoville Barton
Another whiskey finished in barriques, but this one is Irish! In fact, it’s billed as the first of its kind in that respect. Before reaching these Château Léoville Barton casks though, it’s initially matured in a mixture of ex-Oloroso Sherry and ex-bourbon barrels. The result is a deeply layered blend, with floral fruity notes, and a lingering spice that continues from palate to finish.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £53.99
Glenmorangie Nectar D'or Sauternes
The exquisitely named Nectar d’Or has the syrupy, honeysuckle, and orange peel notes that you’d expect from a sweet Sauternes wine. No smokiness, it’s golden inside and out and is definitely one for the wine lovers out there. It would work well with a lightly flavoured soda like grapefruit, but at this quality you’ve got to try it neat first.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: UK £58.94 // US $81.99
GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Sauternes Finish
This was whisky legend Billy Walker’s favourite wine finished whisky when he spoke with us recently, so you’re in good hands trying this one. A wonderfully well balanced Sauternes cask finish with plenty of fresh fruity sweetness on the palate, it’s a delightful dram.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £59.95
Whistle Pig 12 Year Old - Old World
Whistle Pig have been impressing people big time with their releases over the last few years and their award shelves must be feeling the strain, which explains the jump in price for this one. Old World is straight rye whiskey finished in three different wine casks – Madeira, Sauternes and finally Port. The spicy rye combines so well with the sweetness from the casks to create probably the best wine finished rye whiskey in the world. If you want to go all out, then this is the one for you.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £174.95 // US $179.99
We love wine finished whiskies at The Three Drinkers, so there’s a more detailed article here about Helena’s journey of discovery in Scotland. There’s also a few other fantastic options there that aren’t mentioned above!
Words by Calum Ecroyd
