Iowa Fall 20-Winter 21 - 33

* Movement influences the outcome. Jefferson's
Ocean bourbon provides the most dramatic example
of this, because it ages on a ship at sea.
When the liquor has aged to perfection, it leaves
its cozy barrel for the bottle, the market and eventually the consumer's glass. The empty barrel still
has potential for enhancing other products. Although
bourbon must be aged in new oak containers, per
TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau)
guidelines, other liquors, including other whiskies,
needn't be so picky. Empty bourbon barrels often
make their ways to Scotland, destined to cradle
Scotch whisky. Barrels that initially held wine, brandy,
rum and other alcohol also enjoy a glamorous new
second act aging other alcohol products.

IOWA DISTILLERS EMBRACE THE
OPTIONS
Across Iowa, distilleries use a variety of barrels to
distinguish their spirits. Their choices demonstrate
the logic that goes into choosing the magic cask.
"We use #4 charred [American] white oak barrels
with #2 heads," says Lester Brown, distillery manager
at Templeton Rye. "We like #4 because with rye
being a seasoned, spicy ingredient, we feel #4 brings
out a lot of the caramel, butterscotch, vanilla notes
which makes a really nice rye, makes it a nice bold
flavor." Showing Iowa love in their barrel aging program, Brown says, "We try to make sure that we
have some Iowa oak in our barrels."
Iowa Legendary Rye uses level 5 char in new
American oak barrels, "the highest char available,"
says Heath Schneider, grandson of early bootlegger
Lorine Sextro.
Cedar Ridge Distillery gets truckloads of
American oak barrels, char #3, from Independent
Stave Co. The distillery is connected to Cedar Ridge
Winery, which has its own barrel needs, as well as
an on-site, full-service restaurant.
Iowa Distilling Co. uses 53-gallon new American
white oak with char #4.
Barrel sizes used in Iowa distilleries run the gamut.
"Back when we started three years ago, we

CEDAR RIDGE DISTILLERY

Cedar Ridge gets truckloads of American oak barrels.

started with 5s and 10s," says Pat Hoffmann of
Lonely Oak Distillery "We're gradually using bigger
and bigger-now we primarily fill 15s and 30s."
When Lonely Oak first opened, 5-gallon fills provided faster aging, allowing Hoffmann to get product to the market sooner. But his affinity for smaller
barrels goes beyond convenience.
"I find it interesting that in bourbon and in whiskey, people get hung up on the 53-gallon industry
standard," he comments. "Barrel size is the only

The magic lies in the fact that the barrel-aging process involves the
wonders of chemistry, as molecules such as hemicellulose, lignin,
tannins and lactones transform the spirit.

FALL 2020 | WINTER 2021 33

Iowa Fall 20-Winter 21

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