Cask strength
Encyclopedia
Cask strength is a term used in whisky
-making to describe the level of alcohol-by-volume
(abv) strength that is used for a whisky during its storage in a cask
for maturation – typically in the range of 60–65% abv.
Most bottled whisky is diluted with water to bring its strength (i.e., its abv
level) down to a level that makes it less expensive to produce and more palatable to most consumers, usually about 40% abv – a level that is the statutory minimum in some countries. The degree of dilution is said to bring out different flavours of the whisky, which can affect the decisions of the producers regarding the concentration they select for the bottling of their various brands.
These whiskies are usually produced for the upper premium market category, as cask strength whisky is more expensive to produce and less palatable to casual consumers than diluted whisky. Such whiskies are usually older as well, as the whisky develops flavors coming from the long marriage of cask and liquor, to the extent that substantial aging is demanded by the more sophisticated premium-market consumers.
Sometimes bottlers dilute even cask strength bottling, but to a lesser degree, such as to 60% abv. This avoids the need to reprint the labels – which, in some jurisdictions such as the EU, must state the exact alcohol level – due to different barrels containing whisky at different strengths.
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
-making to describe the level of alcohol-by-volume
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
(abv) strength that is used for a whisky during its storage in a cask
CASK
Peripheral plasma membrane protein CASK is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CASK gene. This gene is also known by several other names: CMG 2 , calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase 3 and membrane-associated guanylate kinase 2.-Genomics:This gene is located on the short arm of...
for maturation – typically in the range of 60–65% abv.
Most bottled whisky is diluted with water to bring its strength (i.e., its abv
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
level) down to a level that makes it less expensive to produce and more palatable to most consumers, usually about 40% abv – a level that is the statutory minimum in some countries. The degree of dilution is said to bring out different flavours of the whisky, which can affect the decisions of the producers regarding the concentration they select for the bottling of their various brands.
Cask strength bottling
While the majority of whisky bottled by distillers is watered down to about 40% abv, some whiskies are bottled at cask strength.These whiskies are usually produced for the upper premium market category, as cask strength whisky is more expensive to produce and less palatable to casual consumers than diluted whisky. Such whiskies are usually older as well, as the whisky develops flavors coming from the long marriage of cask and liquor, to the extent that substantial aging is demanded by the more sophisticated premium-market consumers.
Sometimes bottlers dilute even cask strength bottling, but to a lesser degree, such as to 60% abv. This avoids the need to reprint the labels – which, in some jurisdictions such as the EU, must state the exact alcohol level – due to different barrels containing whisky at different strengths.