Caol Ila 2018 Whisky Barrel Chunks – 500g

These Caol Ila whisky barrel chunks began as the oak staves of an Islay cask marked 2018, reference 312890. I cut the staves into small pieces myself, keeping the original barrel surfaces alongside the freshly exposed grain. If you like exploring the smoky side of Scotch, this is a particular source of oak to start with.

The whisky-facing side of the stave

The darker inner face is the side that touched the whisky inside the cask. It was charred when the barrel was prepared, long before I cut these chunks. During maturation, spirit soaked into the oak beneath that surface; the aroma left in the grain is part of what makes this reclaimed wood worth keeping.

American white oak is more than a container for whisky. It takes up spirit within its grain while giving back its own aromatic character, often associated with vanilla, coconut and sweet oak. These pieces bring the original inner surface and freshly opened grain together, ready for another small oak experiment.

I cut and pack the wood at Barrel Craft Studio, my one-man workshop near Loch Lomond in Scotland. It is unpainted barrel oak, with no added treatment after cutting.

Aroma to explore

The chunks may retain hints of fresh citrus, sweet malt and light, fragrant peat smoke, taking their cue from Caol Ila's whisky style. These are possible aroma directions inferred from the distillery's profile, rather than tasting notes measured for this batch. The source cask and your own method will shape what you discover.

Three ways to give the oak a new use

• Spirit infusion: explore oak finishing with rum, neutral spirit or an existing whisky, using suitably prepared wood in a small trial.

• Home-brewed beer: try oak conditioning with a robust porter or stout, after preparing the wood for brewing. Treat the style pairing as an experiment.

• BBQ smoking: use as smoking wood in a suitable charcoal barbecue or smoker for meat, fish or vegetables, following your equipment's guidance.

Your 500g pack

One 500g net pack of Caol Ila barrel-stave chunks. Piece sizes, shapes and grain vary. The year marking identifies the cask; it is not a whisky age statement. No additional treatment after cutting; supplied not sanitised. Prepare appropriately before contact with drinks. Use small trials and check progress; there is no single dose or contact time for every drink.

The barrel is not included. Lifestyle images illustrate possible uses; the original photographs show the actual barrel wood.