cask
STR
No legal definition
Shaved, toasted and re-charred: a cask-rejuvenation protocol popularised by the late Dr Jim Swan in which a used cask's inner surface is shaved back to fresh wood, then toasted and lightly re-charred.
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.
Worth knowing
Widely used by young distilleries — Kilchoman, Kavalan, Penderyn — to accelerate apparent maturity. Lawful for Scotch; unlawful as the maturation vessel for bourbon. Frequently mislabelled online as 'virgin oak treatment', which it is not.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms