Casks where ubiquitous in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as an essential cargo container; this lasted throughout these two centuries until new plastic, and bulk tanks, replaced the use of wood.

Whisky is matured in two different types of casks; casks made from European Oak, and casks made from American Oak. The type of oak makes a significant difference on how the whisky matures and the characteristics of the aged spirit that develop.

Over 30 years ago there was a much higher proportion of European oak used by the Scotch whisky industry. Spanish Sherry, of which Britain was a major buyer, was shipped in European oak casks and these casks had been long adopted as perfect maturation solution for Scotch spirit. Then in 1920 the American whisky industry entered a 13 year period of prohibition; before there had been around 2,000 distilleries; afterwards this fell to fewer than 20. in May 4, 1964 federal regulations put specific laws on the books to “insure quality standards of bourbon” (or perhaps to help kick-start the barrel-making industry) which included the use of only new oak barrels (casks).

The wine industry competes for the finest oak casks but cannot use ex-bourbon casks; the Scotch industry therefore saw increasing use of bourbon casks for whisky maturation. David Stewart, master blender at Glenfiddich, explains more about the impact of the original, and now much sought after, European oak casks.