Cherry flavors can surface throughout the entire whisky tasting experience— from the aroma to the palate and into the finish—from the first sniff of a freshly picked ripe red cherry to the sensation of biting into the crimson flesh of a glossy black variety. When picking out descriptors, the sensations evoke more than just the flavor of individual cherries; it can be concentrated and intensified in jams, jelly, candies, and dried cherries; it can be found in cocktail cherries, sour morello cherries, and sticky glacé cherries. They are packed with dried vine fruit and nutty flavors in rich fruitcakes, nestled under a sweet pastry lattice in deep cherry pies, erupting from fresh-baked cobblers and crumbles with bubbling juices, or lying sandwiched between chocolate sponge and whipped cream in black forest gateau. Cherries and beverages mix well too, and aside from cherry brandies and maraschino liqueurs, you can buy cherry-flavored cordials, sodas, colas, bitters, vodkas, rums, gins, and whiskeys. And no self-respecting home bar is complete without a good supply of maraschino cherries: those gorgeous candied ruby or black orbs soaked in marasca syrup are just waiting to be popped into your next Manhattan or Brooklyn or skewered on a bamboo pick and suspended over an Old Fashioned.

Natural cherry flavors arise in bourbon, Japanese, and single malt whiskies matured in red wine, shaved-toasted-recharred, and oloroso sherry casks. Cherry is a fresh fruity flavor, so the yeast and fermentation are important in the production process if the spirit is to deliver its flavors. Cherry can be found alongside other fruity flavors like watermelon, red grape, and apple. Wood maturation is the other main factor; European oak sherry casks deliver spicy fruitcake notes, while red wine finishes add fruity berry and vinous notes. Non-oak casks are permitted in some whisky nations; Irish Distillers asked French coopers to build them casks from wild cherrywood for a Method & Madness release, while Ohishi, Hibiki, Matsui, and Mars Iwai have all used sakura casks made from Japanese cherry trees to add complexity to their whiskies.

The chemical compounds that form the sensation of cherry flavors start with benzaldehyde, an aromatic aldehyde that delivers cherry-flesh and almond flavors. The nose can pick it up in new make spirit samples during bourbon production. The sensation is rounded out by eugenol and linalool, which add clove and woody notes respectively. Cherry-pick from our recommendations below or keep tasting until you find a whisky you cher-ish.

GLACÉ CHERRY: Cotswolds Reserve English Single Malt
Baked apple, glacé cherry, white chocolate, dried strawberry, peppery spices

SOUR CHERRY: Morris Signature Australian Single Malt
Morello cherry, damson, tobacco, almond, jellied fruits

BLACK CHERRY: McConnell’s 5 year old Sherry Cask Finish Irish Blend
Red grape, aniseed, fresh mint, black cherry, ginger spices