Whisky by Flavour - Wood - Caramel

Unlike other spirits whisky and especially Scotch whisky has specific legal requirements for its maturation process before it can legally be sold as whisky. Since regulation came in 1915 Scotch whisky has been required to mature for a minimum of 3 years, this maturation is done in oak casks.
Caramel can be found in the flavour and aromas of whisky and is similar to both the vanilla flavour from maturation and the honey and toffee notes you can find from other parts of the production and finishing stages of maturation. When an oak cask is toasted there is a layer of caramelised sugars that get activated in the oak this is below the charred surface and these can build on the vanilla flavours with richer denser notes.

Enjoyed this flavour? The following whiskies all share this flavour profile.....

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