Barrels, Hogsheads and Butts - Whisky Casks Explained

Barrels, hogsheads and butts. 🥃 Chances are that you’re not the only one confused over the various types of Scotch whisky casks.

Here I’ll attempt to explain and demystify the three most common types of casks used in the Scotch whisky industry.

But first...

What is a whisky cask?

In the Scotch whisky world, a cask is a vessel, made from oak, for the purpose of maturing whisky.

Where do casks come from?

Most Scotch whisky casks come from the U.S.A. or from Spain.

Why?

Scotch whisky producers like to mature their whiskies in casks that have previously held another spirit. The vast majority of casks have previously held bourbon and are known as American Standard Barrels (ASB) which hold about 190 litres.

Why bourbon barrels though?

By law, bourbon barrels have to be made from new American oak and can only be used ONCE. They’re also readily available and cheap – and even better, impart delicious notes of vanilla, toffee and caramel.

So, what’s a hogshead?

Once the bourbon barrel has been used, they are broken down into staves and shipped to Scotland.

There, the staves are reassembled and repaired (if need be) by skilled coopers. They can be reassembled as bourbon barrels or reconstructed with additional oak staves and new oak ends into 250-litre casks, which are known as hogsheads.

Why specifically 250 litres?

A 250-litre cask can normally hold the product of one distillation run.

And what about sherry casks? 🍷

Sherry is matured in butts (usually made from American or European oak), which hold approximately 500 litres. All sherry is produced in the ‘sherry triangle’ of Cadiz and most sherry butts used have previously contained Oloroso, Fino and Manzanilla.

Whisky matured in ex-Sherry butts brings a reddish colour to the whisky and often imparts notes of nutty fruitcake, berry, and spice.

However, there are a shortage of sherry butts, so producers have turned to having their own butts specially made in mainland Europe and then sent to Jerez for a process known locally as ‘envinado’, otherwise known as ‘seasoning’. This process can take up to six years and is extremely expensive.

What about First fill and Second fill, etc.?

The first time whisky is put into a used cask, it’s known as First Fill. When the cask is eventually re-used, it’s called a refill cask.

What happens to a cask at the end of its lifecycle?

Most often, casks are made into wood chips and sold to food services companies for smoking fish, meat or cheese.

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