You’ve heard of the term “shooting fish in a barrel,” but what happens to that barrel once said fish have been removed? You’d be forgiven for thinking that these barrels are either disposed of or are otherwise repurposed, but did you know that some former fish barrels are lucky enough to find themselves being used for Scotch whisky? Alas, that’s where the luck runs out, since this idea really is as bad as it sounds.
For those who are fortunate enough to not be aware of such a creation, Fishky is a single malt Scotch that has been aged in barrels that formerly housed herring. It is deservedly one of the worst whiskeys of all time. With tasting notes from one Malt Review reviewer such as “rotten vegetables” and “acid reflux” gracing this whisky’s score sheet, even the most curious of connoisseurs might want to steer clear. With whiskey, there are plenty of minute mistakes you can make, but the greatest of all might be choosing this bottle to begin with.
Fishky actually has precedent
Fishky’s delightful portmanteau of a name is sadly where the joys end for this whisky. What’s arguably more jarring than its taste is the fact that the idea of aging whisky in fish barrels is founded in history. We’re not saying this was a good idea, mind you, but back in the day, reusing old barrels for other purposes was simply the economical thing to do — it’s thought that some spirits would have found themselves sitting in some pretty unsavory casks.
Interestingly, it’s thought that this practice is what might’ve led to the introduction of charred barrels in the United States since a charred barrel eliminates the unwanted fishy notes of a cask over its long voyage down the Mississippi River. This really caught steam with bourbon production specifically — in fact, it’s now written into law that bourbon must be aged in first-use charred oak barrels. While there’s certainly some validity to the union of fishy tastes and grain spirits, we’d recommend that you let the past stay in the past. If you’re determined to have these two tastes coincide, there are far better ways to do that, such as making beautiful grilled salmon on bourbon-soaked planks.
