First-fill

Not a legal term

No whisky regulation in Scotland, Ireland, the United States, the EU or Japan defines this. It is a trade or marketing term, so it is only actionable if its use is actively misleading.

Often confused with virgin oak

First-fill means first fill with this whisky; the cask has already had one working life. Virgin oak has never held any liquid.

Worth knowing

Entirely unregulated. No rule governs how long the previous contents sat in the wood, how the cask was seasoned, or how long it stood empty. A 'first-fill sherry butt' seasoned for 18 months with cheap wine and a genuine transport butt that held Oloroso for decades may be described identically.

Related terms