Whisk(e)y
Cask is a special place for the seeker of "uisce beatha", the Water of Life. Whether the whisk(e)y lover is an experienced connoisseur or just enthusiastically venturing out on the wonderful pursuit of discovery, at Cask you will be treated to ready access to the worlds most intriguing whiskies.
It's easy to find good whisk(e)y. It's not easy to find space to store them all. A quick reference to any of the renowned whisk(e)y guides reveal that there are well over 1,000 good whiskies worth listing, and they've narrowed that number down from about 3,000. At our store you'll find only those whiskies that have earned their place amongst the very best of the best in the world.
Whiskies are as different and distinctive as the countries they come from. Yet they share a wealth of important characteristics. The heritage of an ancient craft introduced by the Irish in 1405. The dedication to a traditional process. The distiller's skill and pride.
HOW WHISKIES ARE MADE
Everything starts with grain. The grain becomes beer when steeped in water to germinate, then milled, mashed and fermented with yeast. The beer is then distilled and finally aged in oak casks to become whisk(e)y.
GRAIN WHISKIES
The grain (usually wheat or corn) is unmalted and distilled in a "patent still". This type of still uses a continuous process and produces lighter yet distinctive whiskies that provide consistency and backbone to a blend.
MALT WHISKIES
Only barley (not wheat or corn) is malted. And malt whiskies are always batch distilled in a copper pot still. These tear-shaped vessels work like pressure cookers and are designed exclusively for distilling whiskies.
SINGLE MALT, SINGLE GRAIN, BLENDED MALT OR BLENDED?
Single Malt Whisk(e)y is made entirely from malted barley from a single distillery using a pot still.
Single Grain Whisk(e)y is made entirely from un-malted grain from a single distillery.
Blended Malt Whisk(e)y like blended Scotch, is made from a blend of several single malts from multiple distilleries, but contains no grain whiskies at all.
Blended Whisk(e)y is just that, a blend of single malts from multiple distilleries combined with lighter grain whiskies to maintain a consistent style and taste.
These are the basic differences. However, water, air, soil, fermenting methods, distilling techniques, barrel storage, size and the type of oak cask, and length of aging, combined with the individual art of the Master Distiller, provide each whisk(e)y its unique character and flavor.
