Whiskies for wine lovers at Christmas: 12 perfect bottles
What better gift could there be for a wine and whisky lover than a whisky matured in barrels previously used for wine? Our selection of 12 great bottles shows just why it can be a match made in heaven.
Single malt is far from being the sole passion of Glenmorangie Master Distiller Dr Bill Lumsden. The arch experimenter (sometimes jarringly dubbed the Willy Wonka of whisky) also has a penchant for high fashion, early Alan Partridge – and fine wine. He’s equally at home discussing Sassicaia as he is Speyside.
Scroll down to see our selection of 12 perfect whiskies for wine lovers
So when Glenmorangie launched its Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection earlier this year – a £7,740 trio of long-aged single malts part-matured in Margaux, Corton-Charlemagne and Barbaresco wine casks – the name was a good deal more than mere marketing spin. Furthermore, Lumsden was perpetuating the long, proud connection between the worlds of wine and whisky.
Historical coincidence and sheer practicality play a role here. As Scotch whisky’s appeal grew during the 19th century, the dearth of locally grown oak meant that blenders were forced to look elsewhere to find casks in which to age and marry their spirit. Luckily enough, the docks of Leith, Glasgow and Aberdeen were heaving with barrels of wine imported from European wine regions: most famously Sherry, but also Port, Madeira and claret. So the idea of using an old Margaux cask to mature Scotch certainly wasn’t invented in the 21st century.
What began as necessity – whisky makers used these casks simply because they were there – has, over time, become a complex synergy that distillers have probed and refined.
The Sherry factor
We’ve been buying Sherry casks for over 100 years,’ says Scott Adamson, global brand ambassador and blender for Highland single malt-maker Tomatin. ‘It’s something we’ve known for so long that works so well for Tomatin.’
Like Lumsden, Adamson is a wine enthusiast. ‘I think Sherry is a wine for whisky lovers,’ he says. ‘It’s got a place, a story and diversity, just like Scotch.’ Tomatin’s latest range, the limited-edition Sherry Collection, bridges the gap between grape and grain: showing wine lovers how whisky and Sherry can combine to create something delicious, and displaying Sherry’s diversity to whisky fans.
The range eschews whisky’s commonplace use of ex-oloroso casks – the source of those classic Christmas cake/dried fruit flavours – in favour of cask finishes in ex-manzanilla, palo cortado and Pedro Ximénez wood. And these are ex-bodega casks – in other words, casks that have been retired from their respective Sherry-ageing soleras.
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Why does this matter? Most Sherry casks used for whisky today are bespoke creations – coopered, ‘seasoned’ with Sherry, then emptied and transported to Scotland, all to the precise specifications of the distiller. They tend to be more ‘active’ – in other words the oak (be it American or European) imparts more flavour. Meanwhile ex-bodega casks are decades-old and inactive. Here, the whisky derives characters from the cask’s previous contents, not the wood itself.
Wine-cask wizardry
Modern-day distillers have explored the wide world of wine. Tomatin, for instance, released its Italian Collection, which used ex-Marsala, Amarone and Barolo casks, last year. Meanwhile Lumsden has tried everything from Meursault to Bolgheri. But working with wine wood can be a tricky business: overdo it and the whisky can develop over-sweet, jammy notes.
For Lumsden, patience is key – he believes that those vinous notes diminish with time – while Adamson reckons wine casks have a brief moment where they’re at their peak. ‘You can get a fantastic balance between whisky and cask – then six to 12 months later, the wine might have completely overwhelmed it,’ he says. ‘The window of opportunity is much smaller.’
At their best, wine cask-matured whiskies are some of the most memorable and distinctive drops around. Think Dalmore’s deep exploration of González Byass Sherry and Graham’s Port casks; Glenmorangie’s neverending experimental streak; or the stunning wine cask whiskies produced in whisky’s new world – Taiwan’s Kavalan, Japan’s Chichibu and Australia’s Starward to name a few.
If there’s an underlying rule, it’s harmony between wood and liquid. ‘There are still a couple of wine estates out there that I’d like to get my hands on,’ says Lumsden. ‘I don’t want to name names as I’m hot on their trail. But the mantra for me is always the same: is it true to the Glenmorangie style and does it actually taste good?’
Whiskies for wine lovers: 12 to try
Bunnahabhain Fèis Ile 2024 19YO Mòine Madeira Cask Finish
Scotland
A distillery-exclusive from this year’s Islay Festival, this is the lesser-spotted peated side of Bunna’, combining the distillery’s soft, juicy fruits (mandarin, peach) alongside sweet, billowing smoke and – from a seven-year ‘finish’ in ex-Madeira casks – notes of roasted chestnut, sweet cinnamon and prunes in chocolate. Alcohol 51.2%
Cardrona Growing Wings Central Otago Pinot Noir Cask
New Zealand
Great Kiwi whisky meets fine Kiwi wine in this high-octane bottling matured for five years in casks supplied by Mount Difficulty. It’s all about poise, marrying Cardrona’s honeyed apples-and-pears distillate with the wood’s wild strawberry, vanilla-cream character. Adding a little water opens up the aromas. Alc 67.4%
Chichibu Red Wine Cask 2023
Japan
Take 36 casks of spirit then rack them into an array of wine wood: Pinot Noir from Burgundy and New Zealand; Napa Cabernet; red wine and Muscat from Japan. Chaotic? Hardly. The result from Japanese master Ichiro Akuto is a seamless, delicate mix of vibrant red fruits, heady floral aromas and a twist of menthol. Alc 50.5%
Glenfiddich Grand Château 31YO
Scotland
Glenfiddich’s first foray into Bordeaux red wine casks, but it won’t be its last if this is anything to go by. Nine years in wine wood dial up the distillery’s apple-scented fruit, moving into sweet layers of cassis and black cherry, backed up by warming Christmas spices. Deep and resonant. Alc 47.6%
Glenmorangie The Nectar 16YO
Scotland
There’s something special about the combination of Glenmorangie with dessert-wine casks. This revamped version uses oak from Sauternes, Monbazillac, Spanish Moscatel and Tokaji, and is predictably decadent: sticky bread-and-butter pudding, zingy lemon, roasted almond and a slight herbal lift. Alc 46%
Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask
Taiwan
Kavalan’s sterling work with fortified-wine casks has helped secure the Taiwan distillery’s reputation at the forefront of world whisky. This is a pitch-perfect combination of oloroso, PX and Moscatel, piling layers of dried plum and dark chocolate on top of Kavalan’s juicy tropical fruits. Alc 40%
Kingsbarns Distillery Reserve 2024
Scotland
The Fife distillery’s oldest release to date was fully matured in ex-solera oloroso Sherry casks, ushering the gently fruity and floral distillate into richer, warmer territory: candied orange peel, mulled wine spices and blackberries in dark chocolate. Unashamedly cask-driven and as comforting as a hug. Alc 58.2%
Redbreast Lustau Edition
Ireland
Two masters of their craft – Midleton distillery in Ireland and Bodegas Lustau in Jerez – join forces in this oloroso-matured classic. Rich notes of dates and liquorice contrast with the oily orchard fruit of single pot still spirit, with a bite of grip and tannin from active European oak. Alc 46%
Starward Fortis
Australia
Starward’s provenance-first approach extends to this single malt aged exclusively in American oak red wine casks, mostly from the Barossa. Lots of rich, dark fruit, a mouthful of chocolate brownie and plenty of oak-driven baking spices and tannic structure. Explosive. Alc 50%
The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
Scotland
Can’t afford the £35,000 for Dalmore’s recently released Cask Curation Series trio of Port-matured malts? Console yourself with this festive combination of unctuous spirit with tawny Port pipes supplied by Graham’s. Raspberries in dark chocolate and cinnamon-dusted plums, melded with darker flavours of coffee roaster, sultanas and liquorice. Alc 46.5%
The GlenAllachie 10YO Grattamacco Wine Cask Finish
Scotland
GlenAllachie Master Distiller Billy Walker’s experiments with wine casks have spawned more hits than misses, including this tie-in with the Grattamacco estate in Bolgheri. Rich cassis and heady spices from the cask, but always GlenAllachie’s irresistible honeyed elegance as a counterpoint. Alc 48%
Tomatin The Sherry Collection Manzanilla Edition
Scotland
Showing that there’s more to Sherry maturation than oloroso, this combination of Tomatin’s gentle Highland spirit with ex-solera manzanilla butts represents spirit and wood in perfect harmony. Fresh-baked bread and butter, ripe citrus fruits and a lightly nutty finish, with just a lick of sea salt. Alc 46%
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Richard Woodard is a freelance wine and spirits writer based in the UK. Aside from Decanter, he writes for several wine trade and media outlets including Imbibe, The Drinks Business, Harpers and Drinks International.
Since 2015 he has been the magazine editor of Scotchwhisky.com. He has formerly worked as a wine news reporter at Imbibe and a feature writer for Halycon Magazine.