Are Cask-Strength Bourbons Worth the Price of Admission?

When it comes to bourbons, I consider myself to have a slightly above average knowledge. I know that all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbons. I know that bourbon must be distilled from at least 51 percent corn and aged in charred barrels made of new oak. And I know that some of my favorite classic cocktails (Boulevardiers, Manhattans) live and die by a good quality bourbon.

So when I came across the term “cask-strength bourbon,” right around the same time I kept hearing that September is “National Bourbon Heritage Month,” I figured it was time to take my bourbon education to the next level.

The first stop was my local North Carolina ABC store, which was a mistake. Confronted with a slew of new-to-me terms in the bourbon aisle, I pondered things like “small batch” and “small batch select” and, yes, “very small batch.” I saw a “single barrel” bottle alongside another that claimed to be both “single barrel” and “barrel proof.” A few were marked “cask strength,” but another handful were labeled “cask finished.” And, in case you aren’t familiar with North Carolina’s glorious ABC system, finding an employee who could help me decipher all those terms was about as likely as finding a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year on the shelf.

Small batch, single barrel, single barrel select: bourbon shoppers have a lot to choose from these days (Dispatch Staff)

So first I had to figure out what exactly “cask strength” meant, which it turns out is actually pretty simple. A “cask strength” or “barrel strength” bourbon (or any barreled liquor really) is bottled at the exact same alcohol-by-volume (ABV) as it is aged in the barrel. In other words, it isn’t watered (or “proofed”) down, a very common—and legal—practice to make liquors more drinkable and palatable to the general public.

The second thing I needed to know: Are cask-strength bourbons worth it? I’d seen the prices on the shelves at the ABC store: nothing under $60 and several closing in on $100. To answer these questions I turned to the experts: Kathleen Purvis and Jason Horn. Purvis is the former food editor for the Charlotte Observer [and a Southeastern Dispatch contributor—Ed.] She wrote the book on bourbon (literally) and one on Southern distilleries too. Horn is a Los Angeles-based writer and former editor of Liquor.com.

For her book Distilling the South, Purvis visited 54 distilleries across 11 states in the space of 13 months, so I figured she might have an opinion on cask-strength bourbons.

“Cask strength is all about just expressing that bourbon,” she told me. “Bourbon has to be a certain strength out of the barrel, then can be watered down to bottle strength.” Cask-strength, in other words, is the truest expression of what a particular distiller wants his or her bourbon to be.

Bottled at the same proof it comes out of the barrel, cask-strength is the truest expression of the distiller's intentions (Dispatch Staff)

Horn agrees. “In one sense it’s just the same [bourbon], but on the other hand it tends to be something special from that distillery,” he says. “Brands tend to use cask strength bottlings as ways to show off things that are weird and special.”

But are they worth it? The cost alone was giving me pause.

“One of the things that I learned along the way that really stunned me,” says Purvis, “[is that] they are taxed on the original content of that barrel.” As the bourbon ages in the wooden barrels it naturally loses volume to evaporation, but regardless distillers are still taxed on the volume that barrel started with.

“They aren’t getting as much out the barrel, so they have to be more expensive,” she says.

Purvis continues, “If what you want to do is make cocktails, save your money. Don’t get a cask-strength.” OK, so now we're getting somewhere. Cask strength is great for understanding the true expression of the bourbon, but maybe not necessary for everyone.

Except Horn has another point, “I think cask strength can definitely make a lot of different cocktails better,” he says. “The higher proof does offer some advantages in making cocktails. It’s going to react differently in a cocktail. Basically you get more bang for your buck. You’re putting the same ounce and a half in your drink and it’s gonna pack more punch.”

After all my research, tasting, and talking with the experts it turns out that maybe there isn’t just one answer to the question of whether cask-strength bourbons are worth the cost. The beauty of the drink is in the eye (or on the palate) of the beholder.

What I did learn is this: buying a cask-strength bourbon starts a conversation between you and the distiller. Cask-strength bottlings tend to be a distiller’s pet project or a one-off creation. If the cost of starting that conversation is worth it to you as a bourbon drinker, then I say go for it. And if not, well, your Manhattan is going to taste just as good with 80 proof bourbon as it does with 110 proof.

Where to start on your journey to exploring cask-strength bourbons? Maker’s Mark makes a relatively affordable limited edition cask-strength that’s finished with oak staves and comes in at just over 110 proof.

Town Branch Distillery out of Lexington, KY has also just launched a bottling of their True Cask Bourbon Whiskey. At 108 proof it’s smooth enough to be a sipper and strong enough to add some muscle to your cocktails.

Town Branch's newly-released True Cask bourbon is a stout 108.1 proof

Jason Horn recommends checking out Four Roses for their cask-strength offerings, but advises you to visit your local distillery. “A lot of the smaller distilleries, when they do cask-strength stuff it’s usually very interesting,” he says.

Kathleen Purvis suggests seeking out unique offerings and getting to know your local distillers and bartenders. “Look for things that are barreled differently, like Angel’s Envy. Find yourself someone you really trust if you’re gonna spend that kind of money.”

Want to sample a few cask-strength bourbons before you commit to buying? These cocktail bars are known for their high-end whiskey and bourbon offerings and their bartenders can help you get started on your cask-strength journey.

The Triangle

Alley Twenty Six (Durham)

Dram & Draught (Durham, Raleigh)

Dashi (Durham)

The Blind Barbour (Raleigh)

The Crunkleton (Chapel Hill)

Charlotte

The Crunkleton

The Vintage Whiskey & Cigar Bar

Dot Dot Dot

Charleston

The Bar at HUSK

Proof

Paddock & Whiskey

Bar Mash