This September, Hawkridge Distillers joined forces with our friends at Cripps for another Great Barrel Quest. Over six days, we travelled through northern Spain and Portugal in search of exceptional port and wine casks, including the perfect ex-port cask for the third reserve of Alain Roux’s whisky. Along the way, we explored historic towns, visited vineyards and traditional cooperages, and met the people whose craftsmanship makes these remarkable casks so special. Here’s how our journey unfolded.

Day 1: Berkshire to the Bay of Biscay

The adventure begins.

There is something rather special about setting off on a journey with the roof down, good friends alongside you and several thousand miles of adventure ahead.

Leaving Berkshire, our convoy of cabriolet sports cars headed southwest towards Plymouth, where we would board the ferry to Santander. Ahead lay the dramatic coastline of northern Spain, the vineyards of Galicia and Rioja, and the extraordinary traditions of Portuguese cooperage.

For Hawkridge and Cripps, the Barrel Quest has become much more than an annual road trip. This year we had two very real objectives: identify a trusted source of outstanding ex-port casks for Alain Roux’s Third Reserve, and seek out distinctive Spanish wine barrels for Cripps whiskies and other spirits destined for maturation.

As we crossed the Bay of Biscay, the conversation returned again and again to oak. Could we find a port cask that would bring richness and depth to an exceptional single malt without overwhelming its elegance? And which Spanish wine casks might add something genuinely new to the spirits we make for Cripps?

A great cask is never simply a container. It is an ingredient in its own right, one capable of transforming a spirit through years of careful maturation.

With Alain Roux’s discerning palate and uncompromising standards in mind, getting the first choice right mattered enormously. The quest had begun.