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I have two questions that @horst_s or someone may answer.
How many times are the contents of a cask tasted while it is lying in a storage warehouse?
How do the distilleries decide on which casks to age a long time?
@bedlamborn I think this is different between the distilleries.
80%+ of all casks in Scotland are taken for bottling without any special selection. Big Single Malt brands need most of the casks from their own distillery for their brand. They blend by a percentage receipt of Fresh E-Bourbon, Refill-Hogsheads, Sherry Casks, Fresh Casks, ...
I believe that distillery and warehouse manager know, where the good stuff matures (which particular places) and which cask have the potential to result in good old whisky.
I know of a distillery (Macallan), where they did a huge sample survey on tens of thousands of casks. Bob Dalgarno did it in the early 2000s. They classified them and stored the data in computers. From this they were able to bottle more consistent batches. But this is only feasible for bottlings with higher ages due to a lot of labor.
@horst_s
Thanks for your answer.
I will have to ask people at some distilleries when I visit Scotland this summer.
But I think it is as you say. They know where the good places are for maturing. Like Bourbon makes knows where the good places are for the single cask whiskies.