All bottles of Glenfarclas 105 are 60% abv and labeled Cask Strength. The legal definition of cask strength whiskey is that the bottling proof is no more than two degrees lower than the proof when it was removed from the barrel. So, Glenfarclas can adjust down to 60% and call it Cask strength.
Teardrop is a legendary track. Your analogy of Whisky taste being equal to EQ has completely changed how I describe whisky. I feel like I can better interpret what is in the glass now, because it's presented in a way I am familiar with--not just a smattering of tasting notes that describe something, but as a cohesive wave that gives it all shape. For that I thank you
I smoke cigars and drink whiskey & whisky. There are not many cigars and whiskey's that don' pair well. I also like a good coffee with my cigars. Good videos sir.
Same thought process of like dumping tomato sauce into a pot from the jar (full strength) and rinsing out the jar with the tiniest amount of water but still slightly sauce so as not to thin the final product with just water. Never thought about that translating to the whiskey world. Thanks Daniel!!
Opened up a distillers edition Bookers yesterday. They were clear where the barrels came from, and then they stated 'uncut and unfiltered'. Also 130 proof. Whew.
I love hearing Nancy talk about petite eau! 🥰 One of my local distilleries created a proofing liquid made with demerara sugar that aged 8 years alongside the whisky. Similar concept. Made for a really cool expression!
16:00 Well it might be that they are using it as a marketing term or, as long as it doesn't say single barrel, they are just making a blend and keeping lower proof barrels to add to blend to it to keep it consistent. In reality Cask Strength means no water added, so as long as what you are adding is other whiskies you are still cask strength as a batch. That is why I like little things like Woodford doing a Batch Strength instead to show that it is a big blend of barrels and that particular batch ABV is X. I think the automatic reaction most whiskey people have when they see Barrel or Cask Strength is thinking Single Barrel or Single Cask because for a long time it happened to be both of those things.
Great video and very informative! I’m glad that I live near enough to the distillery to have gotten this bottle. Keep up the great videos Daniel! Also thanks to Still Austin and Nancy Fraley for creating this fantastic whiskey!
@2:10 into the video - I've questioned this several times regarding Wild Turkey Rare Breed. It has been 116.8 proof over many runs. I've written this off to being achieved through blending. Maybe this video will educate me.
Wild Turkey likely is achieving it with blending. Their sheer volume of stock allows them to choose barrels to push it in either direction till it's right.
the reality is a cask strength bourbon is typically in the 120+ proof range after aging. WT is adding water to the barrels to achieve a uniform Bottling proof of 116.8.
Under US law, straight whisky must be at least two years old, must have an age statement if it's less than four years old, and cannot contain any artificial flavor or color.
Funny. I just watched an old review from you yesterday of Glen kinchie 12 , where you referred to it being all highs on the eq spectrum. And yea. I can taste that. Great review btw
I’ve always thought different CS batch releases that had the same ABV were derived from vatting whiskies from different barrels with different ABV, until they hit that ABV. I could be entirely wrong, but I think this is how Glenfarclas 105 gets that 60% always.
Cask Strength or Barrel Proof I interpret as the proof that they dump at (with the caveat that they proofed it to whatever they like in the barrel by adding water. I believe "Uncut" & "Unfiltered" are both protected terms and if you're looking for a true expression of a single barrel, this is what you're going to want to look for. Full Proof = Proofed up or down to match what proof it first entered the barrel at.
Scotch distillers just mean no dilution, they just marry, vat and bottle. The ABV within a batch will be consistent but usually varies between batches, although you can be clever at the marrying stage with your cask selection, like Glenfarclas 105.
One thing about Cask Strength is that it doesn't mean Single Cask. So it is possible to vat multiple casks, without proofing, to target a specific ABV. Further to Eric's comment...Farclas 105 is batched to hit 60% ABV. There are also those distilleries that will proof in the cask...so if they do, and then bottle, is it still really Cask Strength? That gets dicey, imo.
The TTB doesn't have an official legal definition, but they did issue a ruling in mid 2024 to say that proofing up to 2% with water is fine (so 124 proof can be proofed to 120 and still be deemed cask strength).
It's not the only way to hit the same proof point. You can blend different casks (all of which are at different proofs) so you can hit a specific proof point (Wild Turkey Rare Breed does this, Glenfarclas 105) the bigger guys also know generally what proof specific parts of the warehouse will hit after X amount of years. You can also move casks around to somewhere where the alcohol content will drop if you want to get a lower proof etc. One of the reasons Glenfarclas 105 dropped the age statement is because due to climate change the casks weren't hitting the right proof point for them to blend to the correct proof.
Yes, the term 'cask strength' does get abused sometimes, and by whiskey giants no less. Perfect example is one of our favorite whiskeys, Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. This whiskey is put out in huge batches, so you know there's no way it's actually cask strength, that's just an adjective for the label. But it's still damn tasty!
Hi Daniel, I’ve heard that some of the big bourbon brands do hot washing of the casks to then use the water to bring the abv down. Is that similar to the ‘aged water’ you were talking about? Also are you across in London on the 5th for the world whisky judging? Ewan
Hey Daniel, if there's an old barrel that drops under 80 proof, is it legally allowed to be blended into whiskey and still have that blend be considered a whiskey? Not something I've ever thought of before, but this video made me wonder. An interesting concept.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed and Russell's Reserve 13 are consistently the same proof through many batches and are marked "Barrel Proof". I wonder if Barrel Proof and Cask Strength should have two different regulatory terms.
I thought I remember reading some distilleries mean “barrel entry proof” when they market something as cask strength - “it’s the same strength at which it went into the cask. Don’t remember the source though
Enlighting! I wonder does this apply to a 80 year old glenlivet? If a distilate went in the barrel in 1940 is it possible that, after 80 years the whisky has enoughproof to be called whisky?🤔
It's not rare for whisky in a barrel in certain climates to drop below 40%. When that happens, one of the only solutions is to find higher barrels to blend it with and bring it back up to "rescue" it.
@ ok.. and? I was talking about others not alluded to in this video. I didn’t say it was bad necessarily. They should definitely distinguish legally or on labels. It’s a control point for consistently releasing high proof whiskey that’s got a consistent profile & price point. Also can lead to shelf stable instead of rare batches
Still Austin actually doesn't surprise me because they do in cask proofing as the spirit ages. So their ability to hit an exact proof is VERY accurate.
Most distilleries like Glenfarclas and Tomatin chose the barrels for the batch to achieve their signature strength. That's why the Glenfarclas 105 and Tomatin CS are always at the same proof batch over batch. When you have thousands of barrels to play with it's not that hard to achieve that.
Ok.. I'm saying something to someone who can say it to them. My favorite bourbon, Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon... Always at 116. There...I said it.
That's due to slow water reduction and barrel selection. They'll slow water reduce higher proof stock in the barrel, then dump after it marries at the desired proof.
All bottles of Glenfarclas 105 are 60% abv and labeled Cask Strength. The legal definition of cask strength whiskey is that the bottling proof is no more than two degrees lower than the proof when it was removed from the barrel. So, Glenfarclas can adjust down to 60% and call it Cask strength.
Daniel, I've learned the most about whiskey from you. Thank you kind sir.
You’re welcome. It was a great day standing in a relatively short line with a bunch of great people. I even had them sign the bottle to you, Daniel.
It never occurred to me when I first started, but it's amazing what you find when you pay attention.
Thank you for another great conversation
Teardrop is a legendary track. Your analogy of Whisky taste being equal to EQ has completely changed how I describe whisky. I feel like I can better interpret what is in the glass now, because it's presented in a way I am familiar with--not just a smattering of tasting notes that describe something, but as a cohesive wave that gives it all shape. For that I thank you
I smoke cigars and drink whiskey & whisky. There are not many cigars and whiskey's that don' pair well. I also like a good coffee with my cigars. Good videos sir.
Great videos, love the series! I would be curious on your thoughts about "Pageantry" of the boxes nicer whisk(e)ys come in. Future episode perhaps..
I’m so glad you got to review one of these!
Wow! A Massive Attack reference in your whiskey review! Kudos Daniel! Respect 👏🏾👏🏾
Thanks for the wonderful answer, Daniel! Never knew it wasn't a regulated term. Absolutely love these nerdy videos, keep em up.
Welcome all Whiskey Vaulters to Story Time with Daniel!
I wish I could get/try it.
I agree and have always believed, cask strength is undiluted whiskey coming straight from the barrel to the bottle. Great review
Same thought process of like dumping tomato sauce into a pot from the jar (full strength) and rinsing out the jar with the tiniest amount of water but still slightly sauce so as not to thin the final product with just water. Never thought about that translating to the whiskey world. Thanks Daniel!!
Loved this video. For several reasons. Cheers, Daniel 🥃
Opened up a distillers edition Bookers yesterday. They were clear where the barrels came from, and then they stated 'uncut and unfiltered'. Also 130 proof. Whew.
I love hearing Nancy talk about petite eau! 🥰
One of my local distilleries created a proofing liquid made with demerara sugar that aged 8 years alongside the whisky. Similar concept. Made for a really cool expression!
16:00 Well it might be that they are using it as a marketing term or, as long as it doesn't say single barrel, they are just making a blend and keeping lower proof barrels to add to blend to it to keep it consistent. In reality Cask Strength means no water added, so as long as what you are adding is other whiskies you are still cask strength as a batch.
That is why I like little things like Woodford doing a Batch Strength instead to show that it is a big blend of barrels and that particular batch ABV is X.
I think the automatic reaction most whiskey people have when they see Barrel or Cask Strength is thinking Single Barrel or Single Cask because for a long time it happened to be both of those things.
Michael is such a cool guy and a fine somm. The tannager is beautiful in the packaging. Less impactful on the palate- Nancy picks kick it's butt
Great video and very informative! I’m glad that I live near enough to the distillery to have gotten this bottle. Keep up the great videos Daniel! Also thanks to Still Austin and Nancy Fraley for creating this fantastic whiskey!
Hey Daniel, I’m just starting to get into whiskey and I’ve learned so much from your channel, thanks!🥃
I love these types of videos that get into the whiskey nerd territory
What a fantastic wealth of knowledge.
Makes complete sense, thanks for clarifying! Not sure why they don’t just use single barrel or overproof to denote it
@2:10 into the video - I've questioned this several times regarding Wild Turkey Rare Breed. It has been 116.8 proof over many runs. I've written this off to being achieved through blending. Maybe this video will educate me.
Wild Turkey likely is achieving it with blending. Their sheer volume of stock allows them to choose barrels to push it in either direction till it's right.
It would be amazing to see video with a visit to Wild Turkey and asking the legendary Jimmy Russell. @WhiskeyVault
the reality is a cask strength bourbon is typically in the 120+ proof range after aging. WT is adding water to the barrels to achieve a uniform Bottling proof of 116.8.
I love giving Still Austin for Christmas gifts, I wished my local Total wine would carry it in a box I could wrap
That impression of Massive Attack - Teardrop was beautiful….😅
Elizabeth Fraser was guest vocalist for the classic
Great educational piece
Thanks for the video 🥃
Love these segments much better than with the mooche.. you break down everything..
Suggested topics...
Talisker storm
Frey ranch
Smoke wagon
I love all of the nerd talk. I enjoy learning why something is what it is 🥃
I'm not sure who she is, but Miss Leading is really busy these days!
She must have a good booking agent
her P.R team is strong
Ranty Daniel is fun!
The still austin regular cask strength was my first experience with texas bourbon, I was not upset.
Well then. I come here to learn about whiskey. (I certainly did) I also learned where the theme of House came from.
I'm sure you have talked about this in the past but what does the term straight (malt, rye, wheat) really mean
Under US law, straight whisky must be at least two years old, must have an age statement if it's less than four years old, and cannot contain any artificial flavor or color.
What term would be used for a whiskey bottled at whatever the barrel entry proof was?
Teardrops by Massive Attack
Funny. I just watched an old review from you yesterday of Glen kinchie 12 , where you referred to it being all highs on the eq spectrum. And yea. I can taste that. Great review btw
I’ve always thought different CS batch releases that had the same ABV were derived from vatting whiskies from different barrels with different ABV, until they hit that ABV. I could be entirely wrong, but I think this is how Glenfarclas 105 gets that 60% always.
2:13 “I have opinions” 😂 😉
Can you do a video on chill filtered
Cask Strength or Barrel Proof I interpret as the proof that they dump at (with the caveat that they proofed it to whatever they like in the barrel by adding water.
I believe "Uncut" & "Unfiltered" are both protected terms and if you're looking for a true expression of a single barrel, this is what you're going to want to look for.
Full Proof = Proofed up or down to match what proof it first entered the barrel at.
Scotch distillers just mean no dilution, they just marry, vat and bottle. The ABV within a batch will be consistent but usually varies between batches, although you can be clever at the marrying stage with your cask selection, like Glenfarclas 105.
Cheers 🥃
Have you had a chance to try the 19 y/o Red Breast cask strength?
One thing about Cask Strength is that it doesn't mean Single Cask. So it is possible to vat multiple casks, without proofing, to target a specific ABV.
Further to Eric's comment...Farclas 105 is batched to hit 60% ABV.
There are also those distilleries that will proof in the cask...so if they do, and then bottle, is it still really Cask Strength?
That gets dicey, imo.
The TTB doesn't have an official legal definition, but they did issue a ruling in mid 2024 to say that proofing up to 2% with water is fine (so 124 proof can be proofed to 120 and still be deemed cask strength).
It's not the only way to hit the same proof point. You can blend different casks (all of which are at different proofs) so you can hit a specific proof point (Wild Turkey Rare Breed does this, Glenfarclas 105) the bigger guys also know generally what proof specific parts of the warehouse will hit after X amount of years. You can also move casks around to somewhere where the alcohol content will drop if you want to get a lower proof etc. One of the reasons Glenfarclas 105 dropped the age statement is because due to climate change the casks weren't hitting the right proof point for them to blend to the correct proof.
in my market GF 105 just shot way up in price. too bad as I really like the stuff.
Hey Daniel! Does the shape of a bottle matter in the experience it creates when one opens it up?
Not in my experience
Only if it’s a “pirate bottle” of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and you’re wearing an eyepatch 😂
that is an awesome mag box but i would not be too confident it would safely carry an expensive bottle
Yes, the term 'cask strength' does get abused sometimes, and by whiskey giants no less. Perfect example is one of our favorite whiskeys, Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. This whiskey is put out in huge batches, so you know there's no way it's actually cask strength, that's just an adjective for the label. But it's still damn tasty!
Hi Daniel, I’ve heard that some of the big bourbon brands do hot washing of the casks to then use the water to bring the abv down. Is that similar to the ‘aged water’ you were talking about? Also are you across in London on the 5th for the world whisky judging? Ewan
Not sure, actually. could be interesting though. As for London, unfortunately not this year!
Hey Daniel, if there's an old barrel that drops under 80 proof, is it legally allowed to be blended into whiskey and still have that blend be considered a whiskey? Not something I've ever thought of before, but this video made me wonder. An interesting concept.
Yes! As long as the proof of the blend is
Above 40
@@WhiskeyVault got it, thank you!
Wild Turkey Rare Breed and Russell's Reserve 13 are consistently the same proof through many batches and are marked "Barrel Proof". I wonder if Barrel Proof and Cask Strength should have two different regulatory terms.
I thought I remember reading some distilleries mean “barrel entry proof” when they market something as cask strength - “it’s the same strength at which it went into the cask. Don’t remember the source though
That would be full proof
Russel's?
This came out like a week after class in November so I wasn't able to pick one up. 😭
Booooo
At least to me, cask strength videos means no watering down with censorship in any way...
It’s the same thing as saying “natural” with food. Just call it full proof like Weller does.
You magnificent bastard 😂
Enlighting! I wonder does this apply to a 80 year old glenlivet? If a distilate went in the barrel in 1940 is it possible that, after 80 years the whisky has enoughproof to be called whisky?🤔
It's not rare for whisky in a barrel in certain climates to drop below 40%. When that happens, one of the only solutions is to find higher barrels to blend it with and bring it back up to "rescue" it.
@WhiskeyVault but wouldn't you get problems with the age statement?
No, the only way it becomes illegal is if it's released at under 40. what happens in the warehouse stays in the warehouse. like vegas.
the term cask strength should only be used if it came from a single barrel
1:05 ANUMMAUMMA😀
So is the fact that Benchmark has a offering called "Full Proof" kind of a lie?
It's not a lie as much as it's meaningless
Massive Attack: Teardrop. Incredible song. Incredible video. Check it out.
👍
👀 looking at you Makers & Rare Breed
Still Austin literally does the same thing with their cask strength bourbon.
@ ok.. and? I was talking about others not alluded to in this video. I didn’t say it was bad necessarily. They should definitely distinguish legally or on labels. It’s a control point for consistently releasing high proof whiskey that’s got a consistent profile & price point. Also can lead to shelf stable instead of rare batches
Still Austin actually doesn't surprise me because they do in cask proofing as the spirit ages. So their ability to hit an exact proof is VERY accurate.
@@ChuckyLarms I also wasn’t saying it was bad necessarily either. I was just adding to what I thought was good natured hassling.
Woah
Most distilleries like Glenfarclas and Tomatin chose the barrels for the batch to achieve their signature strength. That's why the Glenfarclas 105 and Tomatin CS are always at the same proof batch over batch. When you have thousands of barrels to play with it's not that hard to achieve that.
1st
Makers
Just FYI: "eau" is pronounced "o", NOT "oo"...
Ok.. I'm saying something to someone who can say it to them. My favorite bourbon, Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon... Always at 116.
There...I said it.
That's due to slow water reduction and barrel selection. They'll slow water reduce higher proof stock in the barrel, then dump after it marries at the desired proof.
that one actually doesn't surprise me because they do in cask proofing as the spirit ages. So their ability to hit an exact proof is VERY accurate.
Where is ur boy!?
I am 🤣
Not a fan of Texas whiskey. Flash aged which destroys many taste notes in favor of char or wood