Whisky in Fino Sherry casks

Contents

1. The Origins

The Fino Sherry is the lightest of the Sherries. It is very dry and has 15-17% ABV. The residual sugar have to be less than 5 grams per liter. The word "Fino" means "refined" and says that the Fino is a wine with a post treatment. This post treatment is the adding of distilled wine (brandy).

    

CatavinoEnMano

2. Production and post treatment

The first specialty about the Fino is the free run gape juice. This means the grapes are not crushed by force, but pressed under their own weight. The rest of the grapes are then pressed and this juice is used in other wines. 

An other specialty is, that the barrel is not fully filled for the maturation. This allows the Fino to fully develop a flor layer that is distinctive for the fresh and dry taste.

Maturing sherry cask with flor
Sherry cask with flor (yeast layer)

3. Effect on the Taste

The maturation in a Fino Sherry cask increases the dryness of the whisky quite a lot. But often it also adds some floral notes or other fine fruity notes.

 

4. Effect on the colour

As the Fino is a light wine the effect on the whisky is negligible. Most of the colouring comes from the oak in the wood.

5. Whisky Examples

There are only few Fino Sherry finishes on the market. The dryness of the Sherry is not very favorable amongst the whisky connoisseurs. A possibe way out of this dilema is to perform a double cask maturation in other Sherry casks and Fino Sherry casks.

Tomatin 12 years Cuatro Fino Sherry FinishTomatin 12 Years - 2002 Cuatro Fino Sherry Finish

This limited edition whisky was finished in Fino sherry casks.  The whisky is not chill filtered and un-coloured.

 

 

 

Bruichladdich Fino Sherry EditionBruichladdich Sherry Edition Series white wine cask - Fino

This Scotch was finished in Fino and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. The whisky gains a lot of its nosing flavours from the Sherry it smells dry with floral notes. In the taste the sweet PX comes through and shares its very sweet Sherry taste.