Maturation

Barrel aging is a complex process that can take decades to master, but every distiller should at least understand the outlines of the journey.

Rapid-aging research is as old as commercial whiskey production. What are the upsides, what are the downsides—and why hasn’t it taken broader hold in the industry?

Understanding the reactions that occur in a barrel can help distillers get the most from their cellar environment and cask choices.

To everything, there is a season... but to a barrel-aged spirit, there are several. Those fluctuations in temperature play a key role in how the wood affects the liquid’s flavors. In this clip from his video course, Santa Fe Spirits master distiller Stephen Julander discusses climate, barrel placement, and more.

Santa Fe Spirits master distiller Stephen Julander explains how coopers use fires of different intensities and times to prepare barrels to influence character of spirits over the long haul.