New Oak

New oak casks, also referred to as virgin oak, are newly coopered barrels that have not previously been used to age or store any other beer, wine or spirits. The casks will be toasted, or in some cases charred, with different levels of fire-treatment bringing out different flavours from the wood.

Due to strict regulation requiring their use in the ageing of bourbon whiskey, the most commonly used new oak casks are charred American white oak. This law in turn has driven down the use of new oak by industries elsewhere as it is cheaper for them to buy and refill the barrels that American distillers have already used. Despite this, producers of Scotch and Irish whiskies have increased their use of virgin oak in the 21st century as these very active casks provide prominent and fast-developing oak-forward flavours.

Other popular varieties of new oak casks include French Limousin oak, which is mostly used in the cognac industry, and Mizunara oak from Japan. Whisky distillers from these regions have historically made good use of these, while those in other areas are increasingly experimenting with their use as well. Some Scottish and Irish distillers have also trialled the use of their native oaks. Slow-growing and less pliable however, their use in maturation remains rare.