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    Home » Single Malt Scotch

    Published Apr 28, 2017 · Updated Apr 16, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Exotic Cask Finishes Scotch & Creative Food Pairing

    Jump to Reviews

    Distillers use exotic cask finishes to age their expressions, resulting in new flavor profiles. Explore this interesting scotch lineup and choose a dram, then challenge yourself to pair those flavors with food in creative ways.

    Exotic cask finishes lineup in bottles (plus the mystery pour in a bag).this …

    The wonderful thing about whisk(e)y in general, and scotch in particular, is the great variety that can be achieved by in what (and how long) the distillate is aged.

    I’ve already written about how the scotch industry reuses casks. Indeed, much of what I’ve tasted in my experience so far are drams that have been aged in sherry casks and a few in port casks.

    Given the popularity of these finishes, you would expect that the supply of available casks is competitive. Some producers are turning to other types of casks as a substitute, with the result being surprising and delightful.

    Cask influence on a particular spirit varies greatly based on the wood and what was in the cask before.

    And I've come to learn that choosing exotic cask finishes and food pairings with whisky both are arts requiring a skilled palate.

    Jump To: hide
    Fancy scotch finishes
    Exotic Cask Finishes Scotch Seminar
    Glen Moray 10 Year Chardonnay Cask
    Tomatin 14 Year Port Cask
    Glenmorangie Bacalta Madeira Cask
    Kilchoman Sauternes Cask
    Gordon & MacPhail Sassicaia Cask Caol Ila
    Glenfiddich 12yr IPA (Mystery Pour)
    Pairing food with scotch
    Final Thoughts
    Related Tasting Notes

    Fancy scotch finishes

    Holly Seidewand, Gordon’s new Whiskey Specialist, recently presented a wonderful and highly informative scotch tasting seminar called Exotic Cask Finishes.

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    I was lucky enough not only to attend, but I was able to stretch my culinary wings a bit and provide a food pairing for one of the samples, the Glenmorangie Bacalta, a first for me! I’ll talk more about the pairing in a bit (ok, now don't forget!), but let’s get back to the finishes.

    One small note…because I was also prepping and serving my pairings, my attention was distracted somewhat and my tasting notes aren't as detailed as I would like. I have added some more notes after the fact.

    Exotic Cask Finishes Scotch Seminar

    Presented by Holly Seidewand at Gordon’s Fine Wines and Liquors, Main Street location, Waltham, MA, April 20, 2017

    Glen Moray 10 Year Chardonnay Cask

    40%ABV, Speyside
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: vanilla, peach, grapes; with water, mineral forward
    • Taste: minerals, pine, oily, medium body; with water, fruitier, green grapes
    • Finish: fades to fruit & pepper; with water still spicy
    • Comments: Speyside, matured entirely in a chardonnay cask so you get the buttery, green fruit taste

    Tomatin 14 Year Port Cask

    46%ABV, Highland
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: vanilla
    • Taste: strong port, sweet
    • Finish: cherry finish
    • Comments: Wonderful!! My favorite of the lot. The port cask isn’t as exotic as the others, but it gives a sweet red fruit note

    Glenmorangie Bacalta Madeira Cask

    46%ABV, Highland
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: Light citrus, evergreen
    • Taste: smooth entrance, thick, pine, sweet
    • Finish: green finish
    • Comments: This one I’ve tasted before and loved. Madeira gives a sweet, cooked fruit element
    Collage of Glen Moray, Tomatin, and Glenmorangie scotch bottles on a counter.
    Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia (just imagine the drizzle of Balsamic Glaze), and Apricot Tartlets

    Kilchoman Sauternes Cask

    50%ABV, Islay
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: sautéed mushroom in butter, a bonfire on the beach
    • Taste: a campfire on the tongue, ashy, smoke doesn't hit but slides in, major body, soft, not peppery
    • Finish: eases off the tongue
    • Comments: Fab! A nice pour for a summer evening. 5 years only in Sauternes wine, a sweet, minerally white wine. Good balance with the smoke

    Gordon & MacPhail Sassicaia Cask Caol Ila

    45%ABV, Islay; pronounced "Ko Eela"
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: caramel, smoke slightly; with water, get sweet fruit
    • Taste: orange peel, easy smoke; with water, sweeter, fruit comes out, still has peat
    • Finish: no real finish, puff of smoke; with water pepper rises finish lasts more
    • Comments: Sassicaia is a Bordeaux-style dry red wine

    Glenfiddich 12yr IPA (Mystery Pour)

    43%ABV, Speyside
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: sweet ripe peaches,
    • Taste: sweet, oily, thick body, pear
    • Finish: lasts, mint at the end
    • Comments: Very good. Finished in IPA 3 mo, gives a floral “hoppy” notes to the aroma
    Collage of Kilchoman, Gordon & MacPhail, & a bottle in a paper bag on a counter.
    What's in the mystery pour?

    Pairing food with scotch

    As with everything to do with tastings, pairing a food with a particular expression is going to be highly subjective.

    You can try to complement a flavor note or contrast it, going sweet or savory in the process. I had tried the Glenmorangie Bacalta before and had an idea of its flavors on my palate. In fact, the notes I gave above are from that previous tasting (again, I was busy serving so I didn’t get to try it at the seminar).

    I chose to play up the apricot and menthol elements of the pour. I presented apricot tartlets featuring a homemade shortcrust pastry filled with organic apricot jam, playing up the fruity notes of the expression.

    For the “green” taste, I served rosemary sourdough focaccia with a drizzle of sweet balsamic glaze. These contrasting flavors mimicked the Bacalta itself.

    Everyone seemed to enjoy the snacks and several people commented favorably as to the pairing choices.

    Collage of Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia and apricot Tartlet on white plates.
    Top: Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia (just imagine the drizzle of Balsamic Glaze); Bottom: Apricot Tartlets

    Final Thoughts

    I loved the thought process involved in coming up with the food pairing ideas.

    There’s that aspect of creatively using my own experiences with both food and scotch to decide what to suggest, as well as learning from others about their relationship to that particular dram.

    I hope you’ll go off the beaten path and try some of these more exotically finished whiskies. They really start to give scotch a wider spectrum of flavors available.

    Now to just think up a snack to have with them. Hmmm...

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Tasting Notes

    Scotland's whisky regions have such a rich and diverse array of flavor profiles and distinct characteristics from which to choose. Here's where you can find a scotch I've reviewed based on its region. Slainté!

    • Campbeltown Scotch
    • Highland Scotch
    • Islands Scotch
    • Islay Scotch
    • Speyside Scotch

    More Single Malt Scotch Tasting Notes

    • Bruichladdich unpeated and Port Charlotte heavily peated lineup.
      Bruichladdich's unpeated & peated lineup
    • Collage of Glenmorangie Allta, Ardbeg Drum in bottles on a counter.
      Glenmorangie Allta & Ardbeg Drum review
    • AnCnoc lineup in bottles on a counter.
      AnCnoc Highland Single Malt review
    • Collage of scotch bourbon, and rye whiskey bottles on a counter.
      Roundup Review of Scotch, Bourbon, & Rye Whiskey

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    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

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