Whisky in Tawny Port Casks

After Ruby Port, Tawny Port is the best-selling Port wine today. The two unequal siblings differ in aroma, colour and production process. The magic word that characterises this difference is "oxidation".

After an initial storage in steel tanks (which may not be necessary for high-quality products), Tawny Port is matured in wooden barrels for several years. Oxidation takes place and the port wine changes and develops in the barrel. We often read about "small" barrels, but we should not confuse this with small barrels in relation to whisky storage. Tawny Port is usually stored in barrels with a volume of 250-700 litres. It must be at least two years, in the case of a Reserve Tawny Port seven years. If Tawny Ports are bottled with an age statement, storage periods of 10, 20, 30 and 40 years are specified. However, younger barrels may be mixed with older ones during bottling, so that the age statement represents the average.

Maturing in wooden barrels gives Tawny Port a greater complexity of aromas than Ruby Port. While the Ruby Port scores with its youthfully fresh, strong fruit aromas, a Tawny Port also has nutty, caramel and chocolate notes to offer. It is also not uncommon for light tobacco notes to emerge from the wooden barrel ageing. With increasing age, the fresh fruit flavours transform into full-bodied dried fruits and sultanas.

In contrast to the strong red, fresh Ruby Port, the Tawny Port has a more golden or reddish-brown colour to offer. In specialist circles, it is often referred to as "tan". This difference in colour is due to the long storage in wooden barrels and the oxidation of the port wine that takes place there.

If a whisky has been stored or post-matured in port casks, they are mostly Tawny Port casks, as Ruby Port spends its storage time almost exclusively in steel tanks, with a few exceptions. Two distilleries that are known for their whiskies with Tawny Port finish are Benriach and Glendronach. Glendronach 15, 18 and 20 years should be mentioned above all, as well as Benriach 15 and 21 years. The much younger Spey Tenné, which is bottled without an age statement, is also included here. It is finished in Tawny Port casks for about 6 months.