Inspired by the song, “Blackened,” and the great American whiskey-making tradition, BLACKENED is a collaboration between Master Distiller Dave Pickerell and Metallica. Cheers to the barrel and all it adds.Last-Minute Gifts: Get 4 Months of Audible for 60% Off to Listen to Britney Spears' Memoir & More In the end, these elements, managed by the talent of distillers, each play a pivotal role in shaping the final spirit and come together to create unique symphonies of flavors and aromas that define each brand. It involves the subtle distinctions between charring or toasting of the wood, and the careful selection of barrel sizes, the location you store the barrels in and how you finish the aging process. ![]() So as you can see, in the world of whiskey, the barrel is not just a vessel it’s a time-worn partner in crafting flavors. This created a layered and complex liquid with apple butter, rhubarb, honey-suckle, graham cracker, macadamia nut on the nose, and notes of smoky campfire & field clover on the palate. Our newest MOW collaboration, with Rabbit Hole Distillery’s Founder & Hall of Fame whiskey maker, Kaveh Zamanian, sees a bourbon whiskey blend finished in Calvados apple brandy casks. This finish resulted in an abundance of pear & raisin on the nose, and more pear, honey, chipotle cinnamon & walnut on the palate. The second, a collaboration with Angel’s Envy Co-Founder, Wes Henderson, created a Kentucky straight bourbon finished in white Port wine casks. The first, a collaboration with Willett Distillery’s Master Distiller, sees a straight rye whiskey finished in Madeira casks, resulting in a spirit that boasts buttery caramel, earthy mint and fresh cut hay flavors on the palate, and cinnamon butter & dark walnut on the finish. However we also deploy distinct finishing techniques as part of our Masters of Whiskey Series. ![]() When it comes to BLACKENED, our flagship edition is finished in Brandy casks, which adds notes of apricot to the liquid, playing perfectly alongside the honey and caramel notes of the blend This change allows the spirit to absorb more unique flavors and characteristics that have been left behind in the wood from the previous contents. Typically, this new barrel has previously contained a different type of alcohol, such as sherry, port, or wine. When people talk about ‘finishing’ whiskey, they mean transferring the whiskey to a different barrel to add another dimension to the aging process. Or in the case of BLACKENED Whiskey, exposing the liquid to low frequency sound waves, which we call sonic-enhancement, or BLACK NOISE™, can accelerate the interaction between the whiskey and the wood, extracting more flavor. Whiskey aged by the coast often takes on salty and briny notes, while whiskey aged in high-altitude or mountainous regions can have more floral and mineral notes. Other factors that can shape the flavor during aging are different humidity levels, which affects the amount of evaporation within the barrel (known as the “angel’s share”) and can concentrate flavors over time, as well as the aging environment, also known as terroir, which can add its own flavor elements. Whereas, in colder climates, like Scotland or England with more consistent day-to-night temperatures, whiskey (or should we say whisky!) matures more slowly, creating more subtle wood flavors. This causes the liquid to move in and out of the wood more rapidly, strengthening the flavor. In warmer places like Kentucky, the barrel expands and contracts due to temperature changes throughout the day. While in the barrel, several factors like climate, temperature, and humidity impact the aging process. Oak is ideal for aging because it’s porous, letting whiskey interact with the wood, giving the spirit its unique flavor, color, and aroma. ![]() Most whiskey barrels, or casks, are crafted from either American White oak or European oak. In this blog post, we’ll explore the behind-the-scenes decisions that shape the perfect flavor profile during the aging process. A barrel is a specific type of cask primarily used for aging whiskey, while the term “cask” is a more general one that covers various containers used for aging and storing all types of alcohol. In the world of whiskey, people often use “barrel” and “cask” interchangeably, but there’s a subtle distinction between them. The choices each distiller makes about the barrel ultimately shape the profile of the finished product, as aging whiskey is all about how it interacts with the wood over time. Barrels aren’t just for storage they play a key role in the aging process. But the inside of the barrel is where the magic happens. When you think of a whiskey barrel, you probably imagine its outer appearance – the oak staves and metal hoops.
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