S – for Sherry Casks

What types of sherry casks are there today?

Today, there are essentially two types of sherry casks: Bodega sherry casks and seasoned sherry casks. In the past, sherry transport casks were also common (see below).

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What is a Bodega Cask?

A Bodega cask comes from the cascade-like aging system for sherry in Andalusia, the Solera-Criadera system. These casks are predominantly made from American white oak and typically have a volume of 500 to 600 liters. They are often painted with a matte black, air-permeable, water-based paint. This special coating makes it easier to detect leaks, as the liquid immediately makes the surface of the cask shine.

What is special about Bodega casks in terms of aromas?

Bodega casks are characterized by their long lifespan in the dynamic Solera aging system – an age of 100 years or more is not uncommon. Due to this long period of use, the wood of the staves is completely leached out and, after emptying, transport to a distillery, and refilling with new make or whisky, no longer releases any wood aromas or tannins to the maturing contents. These casks merely function as containers that, due to the porosity of the oak wood, allow oxygen from the environment to enter the cask for oxidation reactions. However, the cask staves are saturated with mature sherry. Therefore, Bodega sherry casks, especially those from the Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Solera systems, impart intense, complex aromas to the contents of the cask. These aromas are characterized by notes of dried fruits, nuts, and spices.

How common are Bodega casks in the warehouses of whisky distilleries?

Since Bodega casks are practically never completely emptied in Andalusian bodegas, last almost "forever" and are repaired if damaged, they are extremely difficult to obtain and very rare. Without really good relationships between a distillery and a Spanish bodega, it is almost impossible to get hold of such casks. Fortunately, St. Kilian has good relationships with some bodegas and cooperages in Andalusia, so we have some Bodega casks, filled with mild as well as smoky St. Kilian, in our warehouses in Bunker City. Nevertheless, the small number of Bodega casks is not sufficient to meet the large demand for maturation vessels of a whisky distillery.

What is a seasoned sherry cask?

A seasoned sherry cask is a freshly made cask from American or European oak that is filled with sherry for a certain period. The sherry's task is to remove bitter substances (tannins) from the oak wood and to alter the flavor compounds in the wood. During this so-called seasoning process, which usually lasts between 12 and 36 months, the staves can become saturated with sherry. These aromas are later released into the whisky during maturation. Twelve months is the minimum storage period that the sherry must spend in the cask for the Spanish supervisory authority Consejo Regulador to award the "Sherry Casks®" certificate. The complete production of a sherry cask is a time-consuming process, but it is the only way for a distillery to produce sherry cask-matured whisky in larger quantities. Therefore, it is not surprising that the vast majority - 90 percent or more - of the sherry casks used in the whisky industry consist of seasoned sherry casks.

How important is the quality of sherry in the seasoning process?

The quality of the sherry is crucial in the seasoning process. At St. Kilian, we place great importance on ensuring that the sherry used for seasoning our casks – be it Oloroso, Amontillado, Pedro Ximénez, or another sherry – is always of the highest quality. Only then can our distillate benefit from the high-quality aromas of the sherry during its maturation into St. Kilian Single Malt Whisky. We even collaborate with some bodegas that use ready-to-drink sherry for the seasoning process and, after emptying the casks, bottle and market it. At the same time, we clearly distance ourselves from lower-quality sherry wines, which could also be used for seasoning fresh oak casks. Regular visits to our partners in Andalusia ensure that we can absolutely trust each other regarding the highest quality.

What happens to the sherry after seasoning?

The sherry used for seasoning the casks is usually used multiple times by the bodegas. If the sherry has absorbed too many wood components, it is removed from the seasoning program and usually either further processed into vinegar or - after distillation - into inexpensive brandy.

Do seasoned sherry casks have a good reputation?

Not always. Some voices claim that only Bodega casks are the true sherry casks, while seasoned sherry casks are merely artificially created cask variants with often questionable contents. However, Bodega sherry casks have always been very rare. Therefore, seasoned casks are now the only way for many distilleries to obtain sherry casks as maturation vessels for whisky. If good and regular care is taken of relationships with bodegas and mutual trust is ensured, the good quality of these seasoned sherry casks is guaranteed.

What are Sherry Transport Casks?

Sherry transport casks were used particularly in the 19th century, the "Sherry heyday," for transferring sherry from Andalusia to Great Britain. These specially made casks, usually with a capacity of 500 liters, transported ready-to-drink sherry from the Solera casks from southern Spain to England and Scotland. After a long sea voyage, the casks arrived in the ports of London, Glasgow, or Leith, where the sherry often remained in the casks for months, as merchants and bars preferred to sell the drink directly from the cask. After emptying, these casks were reused by Scottish distilleries as maturation vessels for whisky. However, in the early 1980s, the bottling of sherry outside the production area of Andalusia was prohibited to ensure the authenticity of every bottle of sherry for consumers worldwide. Since then, sherry could only be bottled and exported, which meant the end of sherry transport casks. Distilleries then had to look for suitable alternatives for the coveted sherry casks and found them in the form of seasoned sherry casks.

Is the seasoning of sherry casks a profitable business?

Absolutely! The seasoning or flavoring of freshly made casks with sherry is a win-win situation for cooperages, bodegas, and whisky distilleries. It is the most common method for distilleries to obtain sherry casks and thus meet the enormous demand for sherry cask-matured whisky. As a result, an entire industry of cooperages and bodegas has now firmly re-established itself in Andalusia.

Why is the demand for sherry casks so high?

The rich aromas of whiskies matured in sherry casks, often described as "Christmas cake" and similar, exert a great attraction. Over time, they became associated with the higher-quality whiskies of many distilleries. The use of sherry casks by brands such as The Macallan and The Dalmore has helped this maturation style achieve premium status.