Carlos III and the future of whisky

Carlos III, King of the United Kingdom, has strengthened the position of Tonelería del Sur as a global reference in the cooperage industry by filling a Casknolia barrel, manufactured and seasoned in Montilla. The monarch inaugurated the Scottish distillery 8 Doors in a somber yet highly significant event that marks a paradigm shift in the spirits industry.

Dressed in traditional Scottish kilt, King Carlos III entered the facilities of 8 Doors, a distillery named after the octagonal house of the famous John o' Groats, considered the northernmost point of the mainland, akin to the ultimate boundary of the main island of the British crown. Both the monarch's attire and all agenda items were subject to the norms imposed by the tradition and strict protocol of the House of Windsor. However, there were elements in the picture that represented a break from tradition in Scottish distilleries, only noticeable to the trained eye: barrels whose heads radiate a characteristic orange glow.

Scotland is the Mecca of the whisky world, a sanctuary for the preservation and defense of the canons, a spiritual reserve of spirits, if you will. In this context, Scottish distilleries have, for centuries, adhered to a steadfast standard for the maturation, aging, and finishing of whisky: the use of Sherry casks. These are old barrels acquired directly from the Jerez triangle, which have been part of the solera and criadera systems of the main wineries of the Denomination of Origin.

However, for the past decade, a completely disruptive model has been exported from the province of Córdoba, specifically from Montilla, that has marked a turning point in the whisky and spirits sector. This model is known as Casknolia, the brand that has forever changed the way whisky is aged. Owned by Tonelería del Sur, this firm has changed the rules of the game by introducing options for aging whisky in barrels that were inconceivable a decade ago. Rafa Cabello, manager and master cooper, states that Casknolia "does not sell barrels, it sells flavors," and classifies its product as "author barrels." A brand of versatile barrels that alternates formats, degrees of carbonization, and types of seasoning, offering distillers a wide range of aromas and flavors. This philosophy, based on the traceability of all the elements involved in the making of a barrel (wood, metal, wine), moves away from the traditional secrecy and rigidity of this market to focus on total transparency.

For all these reasons, when Carlos III, dressed in his kilt, strolls through the distillery warehouse appreciating the orange glow of the Casknolia barrels, he is participating in a revolution for the world of spirits at the heart of the industry. This gesture represents a point of no return for Scottish whisky. King Carlos III becomes an impromptu John o'Groats, leading the Scottish people towards new harbors. His Majesty filling a barrel crafted in Montilla, the cradle of Pedro Ximenez, and seasoned in the local wineries, signifies an unprecedented paradigm shift that avoids the detachment and affectation typical of the more traditional sectors of the whisky industry in Scotland, which have been reluctant to look beyond Jerez. New companies like 8 Doors Distillery show, through Casknolia, that Scottish distillers can continue to enjoy the best Sherry casks but can also include in their recipe the aromas and flavors of Montilla-Moriles PX or Málaga Moscatel to create new concoctions in a highly competitive, demanding, and ever-changing spirits market.