Do bourbon barrels have to be charred?

Do bourbon barrels have to be charred?

Bourbon whiskey—and rye, wheat, malt, and Tennessee whiskey—must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. Within that requirement, however, there are myriad variations that can affect the color, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel of the final whiskey.

Are all oak barrels charred?

Most barrels aren't charred for more than 1 minute (though Buffalo Trace, in its endless experimentations, put out a #7 level char bourbon—or 3 and a ½ minutes of straight fire—that doesn't actually taste like liquid smoke).

Why do they char bourbon barrels?

First off, charring essentially opens the wood up, making it easier for bourbon to extract flavors. It also catalyzes key chemical changes that are essential to bourbon. ... That's because lignin, the source of vanillin (vanilla), produces a higher level of flavor the longer a barrel is charred.

Are bourbon barrels rotated?

They no longer rotate but mix barrels from different positions in the warehouse before bottling.

Why is the inside of a whiskey barrel black?

The interior of charred barrels are black and have much more ash residue, resulting in a much darker color for the whiskey. ... This “barrel char level,” as it is called, basically means the higher the number, the deeper the burn char into the wood.

Why are wine barrels burned inside?

The reason a whiskey barrel is charred is so that the inside of the barrel staves turn into a charcoal. This charcoal's purpose is to help take out the harshness of a raw whiskey. ... Wine barrels are toasted. The reason they are toasted is so that when the wine is aged in the barrel, flavor is added, not taken out.

Can I age whiskey at home?

There are two ways to age whiskey at home. The most traditional method of DIY whiskey aging is to purchase or build a charred white oak barrel. To prep a barrel to be used for aging, make sure to first fill it with warm water and leave it sit until the wood swells enough to prevent leaking between the staves.

Why are whiskey barrels burned inside?

Not only does the toasting break down the structure of the oak, allowing easier penetration by the spirit, it also creates flavour. ... The first gives oak its strength, the second two, when heated, begin to break down and create flavour compounds which are soluble in ethanol adding desirable flavours to wines and spirits.

How much are bourbon barrels?

The higher the global demand for Irish, Canadian and Scottish whiskey as well as rum and tequila, the higher the price for used bourbon barrels. Now, according to Eddie Russell, Wild Turkey's master distiller, a new barrel costs about $160 and used one is sold for between $60 and $70.

Does sunlight affect bourbon?

Avoid Direct Sunlight Put a whiskey bottle in front of a big, sunny window, and before too long chemical reactions will start to degrade the liquid. Those lovely esters and other flavor compounds will be affected, and not in a good way.

What kind of barrel does Bourbon have to be in?

Any bourbon lover, and by this point most bourbon likers, can tell you that bourbon legally has to be aged in a “charred new oak barrel.” (The same goes for “ straight whiskey ,” “straight Rye,” and “Tennessee whiskey.”) But not every bourbon lover will be able to tell you about char levels.

Can a distiller char a barrel of whiskey?

If a distiller wants to, they can char (or have their barrel producer char) as long as they please; they can char until the barrel looks like the smoking remnants of a failed Wile E. Coyote caper. Most don’t wanna do that, of course, since that would basically be turning the complex mosaic of oak compounds into carbon.

How long does it take to change barrels of Bourbon?

Sherry is also commonly swapped between barrels of different ages, a process that is known as solera . Charred white oak barrels are filled with new bourbon whiskey and resting in a rack house for a period of typically 4 to 9 years (for good-quality bourbon), with the char giving the bourbon its characteristic copper color.

What kind of wood is used to make bourbon?

Charred barrels aren’t really used for wine, but they are a part of bourbon production. That charred wood ends up becoming a sort of activated carbon filter, which can help remove sulfur compounds from a whisky, and make a smoother drink.