Whisky Cask Co engages experts

The Whisky Cask Company has joined forces with wine and spirits experts David Harvey and Stuart Nickerson to produce a premium single malt Scotch whisky matured in wine casks.

Image: Whisky Cask Company

Offering a combined experience of over 60 years in the drinks industry, David Harvey and Stuart Nickerson will assist the Whisky Cask Company in producing a single malt for the global market.

David Harvey’s background in fine wine has seen him sample wine and spirits from across the globe since opening Harvey’s of Bristol in 1993 while The Malt Whisky Company’s Stuart Nickerson began his career at Bells Scotch Whisky and was managing director of Glenglassaugh distillery for 3 years. 

Rather than using bourbon casks, which is the current practice in the industry, the Whisky Cask Company uses wine casks for maturing its new spirit.

Harvey said: ”What we do is we taste new make before we commit to ageing it, so the raw ingredients that we put into our special French casks is something where we are involved in the quality control process, as it’s important just to know where you are starting.”

As whisky must spend a minimum of 3 years in cask to be legally called Scotch whisky, the Whisky Cask Company are working in collaboration with premium barrel makers in France, with the expectation that this will offer subtle notes of oak from the casks in the finished product, distinguishing it from the bourbon flavours that currently dominate the Scotch market.