Over the last decade, a strong increase in cask* strength whiskey sales has been identified through the growth of new releases and overwhelming interest from whiskey enthusiasts. Cask strengths are bottled straight from the barrel without dilution to the 40% ABV (alcohol by volume) standard and offer more robust flavors compared to standard expressions, as well as ethanol levels of 50%-70% ABV or higher. Enthusiasts seek the undiluted experience of cask strengths, which showcase the full spectrum of flavors developed during aging. Additionally, whiskey tourism and a proliferation of whiskey clubs and societies have boosted cask strength popularity.
Braeburn’s BC20 Whiskey Cask Index reported growth of 14.95% in 2022. The premium global whiskey market segment includes cask strengths and was estimated to be over $67.6 billion in 2023 with an anticipated annual growth rate of over 6.8% from 2024-2032 according to Global Market Insights, Inc. Who wins in this quickly evolving marketplace?
Distiller Wins
Higher Profit Margins: Cask strength whiskeys are premium priced due to their higher proof and perceived value. Profit margins are higher than standard 40% ABVs due to premium pricing and lower costs associated with production dilution.
Market Differentiation: Cask strengths can set a brand apart in an overcrowded market, building a niche market segment attractive to connoisseurs and collectors. Offerings enhance brand image, elevate brand perception and improve sales.
Customer Engagement: Distillers create limited edition cask strength releases to drive interest, brand loyalty, purchasing urgency, and strengthen customer engagement. Barrel programs for bars, restaurants, and private collectors allow distillers to build deep relationships with key customers and influencers and broaden market presence.
Inventory Management: Barreled whiskeys which are considered acceptable for drinking yet remain outside the taste profile required for higher production blends are sold as cask strength improving inventory management efficiency.
Presumed Customer Wins
Enhanced Flavor Experience: More intense and complex flavor profiles compared to their diluted counterparts. Consumers experience the whiskey in its purest form with a full spectrum of aromas and flavors. Some claim cask strength allows them to customize their dilution level, yet adding water defeats the flavor benefit of cask strength.
Value for Money: Some say that although cask strength whiskeys are more expensive upfront, their higher alcohol content means that a single bottle can yield more servings once diluted to regular drinking strength. However, increased demand for cask strength has increased price points, and there’s actually little to no economic advantage. Again, why pay for cask strength and dilute it?
Collectability and Investment: Many cask strength releases are limited editions, making them collectible items. As these bottles can appreciate in value over time, they also serve as investments. Bottles from a specific cask or batch may provide a sense of exclusivity and connection to the distillery, for some whiskey aficionados.
Giving Back: Purchasing cask strengths supports many artisan distillers and their dedication to craftsmanship
As sensory science researchers, we know that less water means more flavors/aromas; many research papers validate this point. In a crude, generalized explanation, hydrogen bonding of water molecules hinders flavor release, and cask strength whiskeys have more intense flavors and aromas solely due to the reduced water content. However, many do not understand the aroma benefits of cask strength and purchase them for different reasons. Some dilute with water as previously noted; some are impressed by top-shelf-name-brand special editions, and many treasure ownership of scarce, limited quantities.
The search for ethanol: Tulip glass headspace contains 65-80% ethanol, 10-20% air and water, and 3-5% character aromas from a 40% ABV whiskey, and the higher end of the ethanol range applies to cask strengths. Drinking from tiny rim tulip glasses for decades has preconditioned drinkers’ ethanol expectations, misdirecting them to a primary, perhaps subconscious search for ethanol presence, usually justified by the detected degree of pungency. This mass ethanol pursuit is also confirmed in other ways; some immediately seek the ABV statement when shopping, or nod and smile knowingly at the first ortho-nasal whiff of ethanol pungency prior to tasting.
Sadly, a minute or two into a tasting most drinkers can’t remember which specific aromas were present, as the prized, sought-after ethanol is an anesthetic, precluding aroma detection with each sniff. Numbing the olfactory with ortho-nasal whiffs of anesthetic ethanol severely diminishes the major olfactory component of flavor, leaving only a lingering but quickly fading memory of the first two or three sniffs. Serious whiskey drinkers place the importance of aroma and character above ethanol. As a reminder, flavor is 90% aroma, 5% mouthfeel, and 5% taste.
What’s the best way to appreciate cask strengths? A simple diagnostic glass rewards the serious cask-strength whiskey drinker. Dump those nose-numbing ethanol-concentrator tulips for a tumbler or the best, a NEAT glass. NEAT works well when drinking 40% ABV whiskey and performs wonders with cask strengths. Ethanol concentration in the center of the rim plane is 0%, and at the rim is only 11%, and there’s room for your nose in the glass. We love ethanol, but it’s no excuse to numb the nose, overriding and obliterating the enhanced flavors and aromatic benefits of cask strengths. Ethanol pungency is an irritant and is not to be confused with flavor. Most whiskey drinkers confuse pungency with character aroma.
Change your glass to elevate your sensory experience level to enjoy the real customer win from cask strengths; intense flavor, aromas and unique character. Science eventually renders non-functional tradition obsolete, revenues from NEAT sales fund further research.
*Cask and barrel are used interchangeably for simplification. Technically, all barrels are casks, but not all casks are barrels. A barrel specifically refers to a cask size of 50-53 gallons
Bio: George F Manska, CR&D, Arsilica, Inc.
Qualifications: Published sensory science researcher, and entrepreneur. BSME, NEAT glass co-inventor
Mission: Replace myth and misinformation with scientific truth through consumer education.
Note: Enrolled NEATNEWS subscribers are entitled to 10% discount on all purchases and free shipping over $55 for as long as you are enrolled. Coupon code: ILUVNEAT
