Who uses who's cask?

@FMichael No ideas, but AWESOME topic idea!! I hope to hear more!!

Some you can trace due to corporate sharing: Beam Global owns Laphroaig, Ardmore. I've seen special release Laphroaigs mention Maker's Mark barrels (which is owned by Beam). Diageo undoubtedly takes all the casks from George Dickel. Kilchoman uses Buffalo Trace barrels...

And that's all I know!

@SquidgyAsh - me too...I'd love to find out what the smaller independent distilleries such as Springbank use for their maturation.

@valuewhisky - it would make sense that large corporations/distilleries such as Diageo, or Beam Global would use bourbon casks from their other line of beverages; as to "connecting the dots" as to who uses what may be kept secret.

William Grant & Sons - aka Glenfiddich & Balvenie don't have any bourbon/whiskey connections that I'm aware of (looking at their company profile www.grantusa.com/index.php) - however being fond of the Balvenie 14 yr Caribbean Cask - I do notice that "Sailor Jerry" rum is in their profile so I can assume that those casks would be used in the final maturation.

Jameson uses cask from Wild Turkey if my memory serves me correct. I did the tour about two months ago.

Whyte & Mackay's master blender Richard Patterson uses American White Oak Ex. Bourbon barrels together with Matusalem Oloroso Sherry Butts from Gonzales Byass. Some of the award winning Dalmore older expressions have spent many years in superb Sherry Butts.

I was fortunate enough to share in a Macallan Cask Strength (57.2abv.) that had spent all its' 12years in the one Sherry Butt and it was perfection!

Cheers.

arran uses jim beam barrels, old grandad ...a few eiljah craig i hear. and the arran sauterne has a flash finish, in which they use the ex- chateau haut du paraguay sauterne cask

Found out on Sunday that Glenkinchie use casks from Bulleit Bourbon.

The only one I know about is Laphroaig that uses Makers Mark barrels, just as valuewhisky stated.

This is a great topic!

I think I heard somewhere that Ardbeg uses Jack Daniel's barrels sometimes, but I'm not sure...

Thread bump to see if anyone else can add their knowledge on this particular subject, especially wrt sherry cask sourcing.

Yeah, great topic. Here are a few to add to the knowledge already mentioned:

Bruichladdich Octomore 04.2 Comus finished in sweet white wine casks from Chateau d'Yquem in the Bordeaux region of France.

Edradour has also used Chateau d'Yquem casks for at least one of its limited release Sauternes.

Here's the latest from Edradour:

whiskyintelligence.com/2013/02/…

Glenglassaugh Evolution (the second young release from the new owners--at cask strength) matured in George Dickel barrels.

Gordon & MacPhail bottled a 19 year old Ledaig that they'd finished for 40 months in a wine cask from the St. Josephs vineyard in northern France.

Yeah, @FMichael, I too would love to learn more about Springbank's sources. I have single cask bottlings of Hazelburn, Longrow, and Springbank that are delicious, but I've no idea where the casks originated.

I approve of this thread, this is very interesting. Unfortunately i don`t have anything to contribute with

@FMichael I have heard from talking with distributors that heaven hill also is given casks to use by glenmorangie from the Ozark plot. They use the casks then return the casks to glenmo same as Jack daniels.

@FMichael Great topic. I think that Ardbeg uses Jack Daniels cask as well as Glenmorangie does. This makes sence to me do to Glenmorangie being the current owner of Ardbeg. It is fun to track down the sources of casks and other facts of the whisky industry, like Scotch detectives we are. :)

@two-bit-cowboy I think you are on to something with Octomore. Bruichladdich previously had a series 16 Year wine cask finishes from several different wineries. Chateau Margaux and Chateau d'Yquem are the two I tried.

I'm sorry to say that since the topic began I haven't found any new sources as to who is using who's cask...On that note - Balvenie has recently launched a new 12 yr Single Barrel; I'm guessing it's very similar to the 15 yr - just minus 3 years aging process - however.....

Both are bottled at 47.8% abv, but that's where the similarities stop; the 12 yr Single Barrel is said to age in 1st fill bourbon casks, and no more than 300 bottles are drawn from each cask.....The older sibling 15 yr Single Barrel is drawn from a single traditional oak whisky cask of a single distillation, and there are no more than 350 bottles per cask...

I'm thinking that the 2 expressions above may have a different maturation process (in particular a different supply of casks)...The 12 yr I'm guessing must age in a much smaller cask (300 bottles vs the 350 for the 15 yr), and lets not forget the "angels share" (roughly 2% is lost each year via evaporation); an extra 3 years of maturation equals roughly an additional 6% loss of distilled spirit...Again I'm leaning towards different size/supply of casks for whiskey maturation...

What can I say - I'm a big fan of The Balvenie range, and scotch whiskey in general; these sorts of things make me reflect on the process of whiskey production, and the aging process...Can't wait to try the new 12 yr Single Barrel - however like everything else in the Balvenie range - the price is questionably high (was quoted by a local seller that it'll cost roughly $70...Wine Searcher . com has it from a few different stores for several $$$ less).

Bump here...

Was watching a Ralfy video; at the 6:15 mark he mentions the barrel is from Jim Beam...I think it's safe to say Benromach probably uses a large portion of Jim Beam bourbon barrels to age their spirit.

www.youtube.com/watch