From stout-soaked barrels to those once brimming with maple syrup or apricot brandy, the five whiskies below are bold, unconventional, and perfect for the curious palate. Some might be hard to track down, but that’s half the fun — and each one offers a distinctive twist that rewards the adventurous drinker willing to stray from the usual path.
Lagavulin Offerman Edition: Guinness Cask Finish
BUY NOW: $374
Guinness is an immensely popular Irish dry stout, particularly beloved in its native Ireland and the UK (especially if the bartender can execute an excellent pour).
Iron Fish Distillery Bourbon Whiskey Finished In Maple Syrup Barrels
BUY NOW: $54
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Before their own spirit was ready, Iron Fish — a farm-to-glass distillery in rural Michigan — found a sourced bourbon they loved and gave it a distinctly local finish. They rested it in barrels that had held maple syrup from their neighbors, the Griner family.
Maple syrup, often called “liquid gold,” is a time-honored staple in the American Midwest, made by reducing the sap of sugar maples into a rich, caramel-like syrup.
Those syrup-seasoned barrels lend this bourbon gentle notes of toasted oak, brown sugar, and a soft, earthy sweetness. It’s a subtle but delicious twist — perfect for bourbon fans looking to explore a sweeter, seasonal side of the spirit.
If you need any further convincing, check out this review from Aaron Knapp, first published in 2018.
Glenmorangie 12 Year Old Calvados Cask Finish
BUY NOW: $90
Glenmorangie is no stranger to fruity finesse, but this 2024 release from their Barrel Select series takes it somewhere unexpected — Normandy. Finished in Calvados casks that once held French apple brandy for 20 years, this small-batch whisky adds a baked-fruit richness to Glenmorangie’s famously elegant style.
Expect soft layers of spiced apple, pear tart, and creamy vanilla, lifted by floral hints of jasmine and narcissus.
Calvados, often sipped as a refined digestif, brings a mellow orchard warmth that’s rare in scotch finishing, and drinks a little more subtly than traditional sherry-finished scotch whisky. A refined pick for fans of fruit-forward, dessert-like drams, or anyone craving a sophisticated twist on the sweet-and-smooth classic.
Two Stacks Fruit Drops Apricot Brandy Cask Finish
BUY NOW: $72 (63% ABV)
This limited-edition release from Two Stacks blends heritage with innovation — and isn’t shy about showing its strength. Run by Shane McCarthy and Liam Brogan, neither of whom come from traditional distilling backgrounds, the brand has quickly made a name for itself through its passion for blending and bold, contemporary finishes.
The Blender’s Cut Apricot Brandy Cask Finish is a five-part blend of grain, malt, and pot still whiskey, finished for 59 days in a French oak cask that once held apricot brandy. The result is vibrant and layered: marzipan, dried apricot, and toasted almond over a spicy, oily core, all born from a truly innovative and experimental finish.
Two Stacks also offers a 50% ABV version, which is more widely available (a lot cheaper) and equally as delicious.
Launceston Distillery Tasmanian Apera Cask Matured Single Malt
BUY NOW: $94.54
This refined single malt from northern Tasmania offers a distinctly Australian take on the sherry cask finish — matured entirely in French oak barrels that previously held apera, a sherry-style fortified wine unique to Australia.
Introduced as a replacement for the protected term “sherry,” apera shares many characteristics with its Spanish cousin: nutty, fruity, and spiced, but with a regional twist.
In Launceston’s hands, that translates to a whisky that’s elegant and layered, with aromas of dried fruit and sweet spice, and a long, smooth finish.
Crafted in a converted 1930s airport hangar, this is a dram for fans of classic sherry-aged whisky looking to explore something proudly local and a little less familiar.
