faults
Sulphur
A family of aromas — struck match, rubber, cabbage, drains, meat — arising from sulphur compounds, from insufficient copper contact in distillation, or from a cask over-treated with a sulphur candle.
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 distillery character
Restrained sulphur is house style at worm-tub distilleries such as Mortlach, Benrinnes and Dalwhinnie, and is not a fault. The fault is dominant, acrid sulphur that suppresses everything else, typically from cask sulphuring or a badly managed still run.
Worth knowing
Sulphur candles were burned inside sherry casks to sterilise them; excess sulphur dioxide reacts in the wood and can push whisky into eggy territory that maturation will not remove. Copper is the primary scrubbing mechanism, which is why condenser type is a sulphur variable.
Related terms
Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · All glossary terms