// Designation · Bourbon / Rye
Finished Whiskey
A base whiskey given additional time in a second cask; sherry, port, wine, or other; layering new characteristics on top.
At a Glance
- Category
- Bourbon, Rye
- Flavor Direction
- Fruity, Sweet & Dessert-Like, Spice, Oak & Wood
- Related Styles
- Traditional Bourbon
What Makes It Different?
- Finished whiskey starts as a fully matured base whiskey (often bourbon or rye) that then spends additional time in a second, different cask; commonly one that previously held sherry, port, wine, or another spirit.
- That secondary cask can substantially change the base whiskey's profile, adding new fruit, sweetness, or wine-like characteristics on top of whatever the base whiskey already had.
Because the finishing cask can vary widely (sherry, port, wine, rum, and more), "finished whiskey" covers a very broad range of possible profiles. The characteristics below are illustrative possibilities, not a fixed profile every finished whiskey shares.
Flavor Profile
Production
After finishing normal aging in new charred oak, the whiskey spends additional time in a second, different container -- a used sherry, port, wine, or rum cask, most often -- picking up flavor the original barrel alone wouldn't have given it. A production technique layered on top of an existing style, not a base recipe of its own.
Explore Bottles
This style spans too many distilleries' own mash bills to reliably match specific bottles here without guessing. Explore real core-lineup expressions in the Distillery Directory, or build your own grain bill in Find Your Perfect Pour.
Try It Yourself
Trying a finished whiskey? Use the Guided Tasting experience to walk through aroma, palate, and finish while it's actually in the glass -- a more useful way to learn what this style tends toward than reading about it alone.