Cask strength
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cask strength is a term used in whisky making to describe the strength their whisky in the cask during maturation. This strong whisky is not the whisky that is usually bottled, as at cask strength the whisky isn't as drinkable. Most bottled whisky is normally diluted with spring water to bring its strength (ABV) down to a level that makes it more palatable usually about 40% ABV. This dilution of the whisky is said to bring out the different flavours in the alcohol. This is why many distillers bring the concentration of their different whiskeys do different concentrations.
[edit] Cask strength bottlings
Whilst the majority of whisky bottled by distillers is watered down to about 40% ABV some whiskeys bottled at cask strength mainly for collectors. These whiskies are usually older whiskeys and so their alcohol level drops gradually over time from the level they were filled at, usually about 63.5% ABV. This means that these older whiskeys are less strong strait out the cask so the need to dilute them is less. Also, because of the age of these whiskeys they are usually too expensive to drink and so are bought by collectors who like to buy whisky at the strength it came out the cask.
