The availability and sale of unaged or white whiskies is a recent phenomenon; these were formerly referred to as 'white dog' or 'new make' whiskies. These are whiskies where the producer has decided not to mature them in a barrel–they merely pass them through a barrel or keep them in barrel for a very short period so that they can legally qualify as 'whisky', but not retain any wood character. Thus they have a clear appearance with intriguing aromas such as white pepper, cereal and dried fruits, as opposed to the oak-influenced notes of vanilla, roasted nuts and caramel found in an aged whiskey. These are versatile whiskies that are sometimes enjoyed neat, but most often used in cocktails.