Corks and Single Malt Scotch: What's the whole picture!

[Quaich1]

I was reviewing the history of corks and why they are the perfect item to top off a whisky bottle i.e., whisky bottle closure:

Lightness: cork is very light in weight and low in density.
Impermeability: cork is very resistant to moisture penetration. (It's used in life jackets!)
Compressibility: cork can be compressed to half its dimension with no loss of its flexibility. And it can be compressed in diameter without expanding its length.
Flexibility: when removed from compression, cork will recover about 85% of its initial volume immediately and more than 98% after 24 hours.
Adherence: the slicing of the surface cells in forming a cork stopper produces an extraordinary cupping effect. Millions of cells are opened and function as suction cups. This provides an exceptional power of adhesion to wet, smooth surfaces.
Temperature and age stability: cork retains its properties at both high and low extremes of temperature and usually lasts 20 years without deterioration.
Cork is the only material known that compensates for small imperfections in glass.
Cork is biodegradable.

However, some questions remain. I know some of the best quality cork trees come from Portugal. Where do the corks come from that are used for Scottish single malts? Are they produced by distilleries themselves in Scotland or are they imported? We are talking about immense amounts of corks. How many different sizes of corks are there?
Do distilleries use different qualities of corks or are they standardized? I am sure there are even more questions about corks.

Thoughts, information, opinions welcome.
_________________
"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
W.C. Fields (1880-1946)

[Oakster]

Corking post....

[Diademo]

There are different opinions on using corks in whisky industry. I like them from the aesthetic point of view, same as with the wine.

: and some of the worst corks are coming from Portugal as well.

[Quaich1]

[Keith]

I believe most corks used in Scotch whisky these day are synthetic corks rather than natural corks.

[Alexppp]

I was surprised that my recently acquired bottle of Hakushu 12 came with a screw top instead of a cork. As far as I know a good screw cap will always be better than cork, or not?

[_peke_]

Very interesting facts. Thank you.

[opelfruit]

[Oakster]

[IndianaBlues]

[IndianaBlues]

[CGRenn]

[William]

Here is an interesting fact about whisky corks, up until 1913 whisky bottles were sealed with a driven cork, requiring a corkscrew to open them, like wine bottles. William Manera Bergius, nephew of Adam Teacher of William Teacher & Sons invented and patented the replaceable cork in 1913. William Manera Bergius later became the managing director of Teacher's and for decades Teacher's Highland Cream was sold using the marketing slogan "Bury the Corkscrew".

White Horse Distillers introduced the screw cap in 1926, it was originally made of Bakelite and its introduction doubled sales of the brand within 6 months.

There are some excellent quality screw caps around today, but consumers associate a sense of quality with the cork tops in Scotch single malt whisky and for that reason I don't see the Scotch whisky industry switching to screw caps anytime soon.
_________________
There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

[Quaich1]

[CGRenn]

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-29735.aspx

Wonderful looking cork, looks like a bottle from 1880! - Don't know how Piratical it is mind...