Whisky by Flavour - Wood - Nutty
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.
A whisky can have nutty aromas and flavours from the maturation process from two stages, firstly a long maturation will result in nutty flavours as the whisky encounters more oak lactones over time. The second stage is when a cask has been charred it creates a chemical reaction in the wood which when mixed with the whisky will impart dry, roasted nutty aromas and flavours, this can be further enhanced by using a cask which previously held a fortified wine, sherry is the classic option but other examples such as Madeira, Amarone and Port can all offer these flavours and aromas. The maturation process could also be building on short fermentations in production which create nutty and grainy flavours.
Enjoyed this flavour? The following whiskies all share this flavour profile.....