Finishing is the procedure that some
single malt Scotch whisky undergoes whereby the spirit is matured in a cask of a particular origin and then spends time in a cask of different origin. Typically, the first cask is an
American oak cask formerly used to mature
bourbon. The second cask is usually one that has been used to mature some sort of
fortified wine, often
sherry, though sometimes
port,
madeira, or even standard wines such as
burgundy or
chardonnay.
Some of the more well-known finished whiskies include Balvenie "Double Wood", which is finished in sherry casks, Glenlivet "American Oak Finish" and "French Oak Finish", which are finished in brand-new casks of the respective woods, and the Glenmorangie range of sherry, port, madeira, and burgundy finishes.