The Art of The Cask

The noble cask, constructed of oak and binded by copper, built to be secure and revered for its trans formational qualities, has transcended cultures, shaped industries, and given birth to some of the finest food and drinks brands around today.

The choice of cask is critical as is the hunt for the perfect whiskies: We travel the length and breadth of Scotland, collaborating with distillers who we count as friends, taking pride in selecting only the finest, most exceptional whiskies that are a perfect match for our casks.

Ainsley Brae: The Art of The Cask

The Whisky

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Tasting Notes

Highland 1964 single malt scotch whisky.

The Highland region of Scotland starts north of an imaginary line that has long been drawn between Dundee and Greenock. The region is home to a number of extraordinarily revered, world renowned distilleries and whiskies which are typically elegant and complex. This extremely rare and sought after Highland 1964 Ainsley Brea single malt, is one of only 1000 bottles produced. Distilled in 1964 and matured in Oak casks, this whisky has few peers.

Possesses huge depth and great character, it is rich and fragrant on the nose, slowly releasing a sweetness and a hint of wood, with a smooth but complex finish.

Flavours

  • Rich
  • Fragrant
  • Sweet
  • Oak
  • Smooth

Tasting Notes

Highland single malt scotch whisky finished in burgundy casks.

Steeped in history and folklore, the Highland region of Scotland is at the very heart of malt whisky distillation. This whisky has been carefully selected and represents all the very best qualities of the region.

Nutty and quite chocolate-rich, with notes of butter, toffee, cranberries, jam on toast, and some maple spice. Sweet oak on the palate with hints of toffee popcorn and salted butter. An oaky and spicy finish with hints of nutmeg, ginger and toffee apples.

Flavours

  • Nutty
  • Maple Spice
  • Chocolate
  • Nutmeg
  • Toffee Apples
  • Cranberries

Tasting Notes

Highland single malt scotch whisky finished in sherry casks.

Steeped in history and folklore, the Highland region of Scotland is at the very heart of malt whisky distillation. This whisky has been carefully selected and represents all the very best qualities of the region.

A zesty citrus nose, softened by lush malt and honey nut. On the palate, more citrus notes take the form of a Seville orange. Light peat, toffee, delicate spice with a stunning sweet honey and toffee finish.

Flavours

  • Malt
  • Honey
  • Orange
  • Spice
  • Lemon Zest

Tasting Notes

The Royal Brackla Distillery was built in 1812 in the shadows of Cawdor Castle in the Grampian Highlands of Scotland. The whiskys that Brackla has become famous for today were selected by King William IV as the whisky for the Royal Court which turned Brackla into the benchmark of quality worldwide.

Initially restrained, but slowly opening up into a citrus fruit punch, with limes, lemon zest and a hint of vanilla. Balanced by some lighter white floral notes. The palate is ultimately rewarded with strong, crisp citrus zing promised by the nose.

Flavours

  • Citrus
  • Vanilla
  • Floral
  • Fruity
  • Lemon Zest

Tasting Notes

The Glendullan Distillery, founded in 1897, has created magnificent whiskies for over a hundred years using only the purest ingredients including water from the Conval Hill Springs. Patrons of the distillery included King Edward VII who considered Glendullan his favorite whisky. Located in a beautiful wooded valley, Glendullan was one of the original seven distilleries established in Dufftown, Banffshire in the Speyside region of Scotland.

Initially quite light, but expanding and growing over time. Malt, popcorn, freshly cut herbs and just a faint hint of coconut with an aftertaste of rich coconut which appears very quickly as a massive rush of flavor.

Flavours

  • Popcorn
  • Herbs
  • Coconut
  • Malt
  • Spice

Tasting Notes

Highland single malt scotch whisky matured in oak casks.

Steeped in history and folklore, the Highland region of Scotland is at the very heart of malt whisky distillation. This whisky has been carefully selected and represents all the very best qualities of the region.

An aromatic whisky, fresh and vivid. Drawing nicely from the wood. Lots of garden fruits and light honey. Greengages and pear. Goosberries. Yellow flowers. Vanilla. Lovely waxy notes. A perfect dram to celebrate a grand occasion.

Flavours

  • Aromatic
  • Pear
  • Gooseberries
  • Beeswax
  • Toasted Oak

Tasting Notes

Highland single malt scotch whisky finished in sauternes casks.

Steeped in history and folklore, the Highland region of Scotland is at the very heart of malt whisky distillation. This whisky has been carefully selected and represents all the very best qualities of the region.

A nose of citrus peels and allspice with notes of creamy vanilla, golden syrup, cocoa butter and black pepper. Notes of candied orange and Seville marmalade. A little dried pineapple and white chocolate and a medium finish with lingering sweet spices.

Flavours

  • Allspice
  • Marmalade
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Pineapple
  • Vanilla

Tasting Notes

The Highland region of Scotland starts north of an imaginary line that has long been drawn between Dundee and Greenock. The region is home to a number of extraordinarily revered, world renowned distilleries and whiskies which are typically elegant and complex. This extremely  sought after Highland 1999 Ainsley Brea single malt, is Distilled and matured in Oak casks, this whisky has few peers.

A whisky with a bold character, hints of malt and dried fruit on the nose, slowly releasing a sweet caramel flavor with a hint of oak, leaving a warm elegant finish

Flavours

  • Dried Fruit
  • Caramel
  • Oak
  • Malt

Cocktail Hour

Join us for the Cocktail Hour. Using our Ainsley Brae Highland Oak Cask
release, we have served up some old favourites to tantalise the taste buds.
And enjoy our how to guide to drinking whisky.

Casked Complexity

All casks have a story, have a history, have contributed to the production of something truly
exceptional. The casks used for Ainsley Brae, have added their touch to excellent wines,
brandies and bourbons, and then finally, modelling the taste of Ainsley Brae whisky.

Producing some of the most expensive wines in the world, Burgundy is a name which resonates with connoisseurs worldwide. A wine which is known for its quality, Burgundy is available in red and white styles: red Burgundy is produced using crushed Pinot Noir grapes which are then fermented, and white Burgundy is produced using only extracted juice from Chardonnay grapes. Casks are introduced after the fermentation stage to round the character, smoothen the edges and broaden the flavours; taking on the tannins and natural sugars produced by the cask, giving the wine hints of vanilla, caramelised sugar and spice. Historically, a small number of Scotch whiskies have been matured in refill Burgundy casks, so a whisky matured in this way is a rare find, but what you will expect to find when you do try this is bursts of fruits, spice and a dryness intertwining with and complimenting the whisky flavour profile.
Sherry, hailing from historic town of Jerez in Southern Spain, is a fortified wine, produced predominantly from the palomino grape variety – but there are styles of sweeter Sherries produced from the Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel grape variety. Sherry styles can vary from light to heavy and dry to sweet, depending on the aging and maturation process. Lighter Sherries, such as Fino and Manzanilla, are aged in the cask, under a living layer of yeast called “Flor” which stops the sherry from oxidizing, whereas the medium to heavy Sherries, such as Amontillado and Oloroso, are allowed to oxidize and interact with the natural sugars and tannins from the wood. Scotch whisky tends to be matured in casks that have previously housed the more full-bodied and fragrant Sherries, such as oloroso, which impart a dry, nutty and spicy flavour components to the whisky.
Bourbon, the iconic American spirit, by law, is made from at least 51% corn, and has to be aged in charred new oak barrels. By charring new oak – a process where the inside of the barrel is lit on fire for typically 40 to 60 seconds – the grain of the oak is opened up, allowing for vanillins, tannins and lactones, the natural sugars and flavour compounds produced by the wood to be released, which interact with the sweet grain spirit; all of which lead to the production of a spirit with a sweet, complex, spiced and vanilla flavour profile. Once the cask has been used, it will not be used again for the maturation of Bourbon, and is typically refilled with spirit produced in Scotland, which takes on significant flavour characteristics of both the charred oak and the Bourbon whiskey that was matured in the cask prior.
This sweet wine originates from the Sauternais region, a subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Unusually for wine, the producers of Sauternes, allow a mold called Botrytis Cinerea to infect their grapes – a process which isn’t harmful to humans – which in turn, decreases the water content and increases the sugar content, shrivelling the grapes to raisins, with a decidedly pronounced sweet flavour. After an intensive method of production, where the shrivelled grapes are frozen and then pressed, the juice content is transferred to oak casks for a period of 18 to 36 months. A highly sought after wine, and one which is not produced in abundance, Sauternes wines can fetch a princely sum; dictated by high costs of production and variable harvest yields. Used Sauternes casks find their way to the Scotch whisky industry, where they are valued for imparting fruit flavours of apricots and peaches, and honey and nuts to the whisky.

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