Page 57 - Craft of Whiskey Distilling

46 | CrAFt WHIskEy DIstIllInG
in new charred oak barrels, there’s a point in the aging process when the oak contribu- tion can go too far, and the whiskey takes on a cloying, overpowering astringency. This is why bourbon distilleries monitor the taste of their aging whiskies frequently past a certain point to determine when it’s “ready.” And, this point tends to fall between six and eight years in the barrel. With bourbon, the saying “the older, the better” simply doesn’t apply.
However, this six-to-eight-years applies to 53-gallon barrels. If a different sized barrel is used then the dynamics change, and values like length of time in the barrel, the rate at which lignin and vanillins are extracted, etc are completely different. The reason for this is volume increases by a power of 3 relative to the dimensions, while surface area only in- creases by a power of 2 relative to the dimensions. That is to say, the amount of surface area of wood per gallon of spirit is greater in a smaller barrel and less in a bigger barrel.
So, if a distiller aged his/her whiskey in 5-gallon barrels rather than 53-gallon ones, there would be a considerably greater surface area of wood exposed to a gallon of spirit than in a 53-gallon barrel. And, the whiskey ages much faster.
Smaller barrels age the whiskey faster and impart lignin and vanillin, and also tannin, faster as well. And, a good-quality bourbon can be aged out in only three to six months in a 5-gallon barrel. In fact, any longer and the whiskey would go over the top and become astringent and bitter.
It’s important to note that the flavor profile is a little different for a whiskey aged in a smaller barrel, but not a difference that is necessarily inferior or superior. Also, the angels’ share is greater for a smaller barrel, but this is amply mitigated by the dramatically shorter aging time.
Smaller barrels are much more expensive and take up more space in the warehouse than larger ones per unit capacity. For example, ten 5-gallon barrels would take up a lot more warehouse space than one 53-gallon barrel, and they would cost a lot more.
However, there’s an increasing trend among small, start-up whiskey distilleries to use smaller barrels while they are getting established in the market place due to the fast turn- around on aging. The one aspect of starting up a new whiskey distillery that impedes most entrepreneurs is the long aging period of six to eight years before being able to start selling their product. even the minimum of two years predicated by law is too long for most start- ups, and after only two years of aging, the product would be substandard and not likely to market well anyway.
However, with small barrels turning out an excellent product in only three to six months, starting up a whiskey distillery is feasible. And, after a distillery is well established, it makes sense to go to the standard 53-gallon barrel to realize the economies of scale.