QUALITY & CONSISTENCY
Time in a quality barrel is essential to producing fine wine and spirits. Our barrels are built from air dried export grade American White Oak. Using lean and efficient manufacturing systems our barrels are built with the highest levels of precision creating consistent volume accuracy. State-of-the-art CNC jointing and machine fit head profiling produce extremely accurate stave and croze joints for liquid tight barrels.
We sand every barrel for a high-quality finish. Heavy gauge hoop steel is edge conditioned for better handling for both the galvanized hoops on wine barrels and black hoop steel on spirit barrels.
Every barrel is partially filled with filtered water and pressure tested for quality control. Barrels are individually wrapped with plastic, including heads, to stabilize the drying process eliminating the need for rehydration if filled within 30 days of delivery. Wrapped barrels can be stored for longer periods of time in a climate-controlled environment.
SPIRIT BARREL SPECS
Charring & Toasting
We know our barrels look good, but it's the interaction with the interior of the barrel that's important to the maturation process. We fire bend and low temperature hand toast every barrel with wood scraps from the machining process. This step breaks down the hemicellulose in the oak converting it to sugars on the interior surface of the barrel. Toasting before charring provides better control of vanillin throughout the char application, develops layers of flavor in the barrel resulting in greater complexity in your spirits. Smell the difference in our barrels.
Our charring and toasting technology provides extremely accurate temperature controls delivering consistent toast and char levels from barrel to barrel, order to order. We offer four standard options...#1 Char (light), #2 Char (medium), #3 Char (medium+) and #4 Char (heavy). However, we can customize toast and char levels per your specifications to accentuate your recipe.
This chart presents broad and general characteristics that can be achieved when aging spirits in seasoned American white oak barrels. There are a vast number of variables in the distilling process that will impact the final product. This chart should only be used as a reference and a good starting point for a conversation between the Distiller and the Cooper. With a clear understanding of your product and goals, our Coopers will craft premium barrels specific to your needs while delivering unparalleled consistency and quality. Give us a call and start the conversation today!