How are whiskey aging barrels made?
Everything starts with a tree
For best results, the tree should be at least 70 years old.
The oak is cut into long, thin pieces and dried, traditionally on the outside, for several years.
This removes moisture from the wood and reduces its hard tannins. The way the wood is cut is crucial, as a tree naturally contains pathways for water and nutrients, and incorrect cutting can result in losses.
Once cured, the boards are then carefully shaped into staves.
The “Gonna” and the toasting
The ends of the slats are mounted together around an iron circle, forming one structure similar to a skirt.
The heat is then applied to fold the slats and give them the correct shape, this phase is traditionally done on a live flame, it is known as roasting.
The roasting process caramelizes the sugars in the wood, giving rise to flavors of caramel, nuts and licorice, and breaks down the wood lignin into compounds that result in flavors such as spices, vanilla, flowers and cotton candy.
several toasting levels - light, medium and heavy - produce different effects.
Afterwards, the metal hoops are applied to the other end to maintain its shape.
Carbonization for Bourbon barrels
For barrels destined for sherry or wine, roasting ends the process, but bourbon makers go one step further and literally give barrel fire.
By law the bourbon it must be aged in a new and charred barrel.
La carbonization, which is measured in levels, changes the wood further and creates a thin layer of carbon that acts as a filter for impurities such as sulfur.
The ends
The last phase of construction of a barrel from whiskey it concerns the application of the barrel heads.
Once this phase is completed, the finished barrel is ready to be filled with wine, sherry, rum or whiskey and begin its journey over several years during which different alcoholic liquids could alternate that will always come out changed and enriched with aromas brought by the wood. .
