Do most distillers use "white oak" barrels? Why?
Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:54 pmLooking to learn a little more about bourbon barrels...
For years, I thought bourbon had to be aged in charred white oak barrels. Then I learned that the law actually doesn't specify that it needs to be "white" oak, just "oak". Given that there are 90 oak species available in the US (and hundreds more worldwide), how did white oak become the standard? Flavor? Availability? Tradition?
Do any of the distillers / producers use anything other than white oak?
For years, I thought bourbon had to be aged in charred white oak barrels. Then I learned that the law actually doesn't specify that it needs to be "white" oak, just "oak". Given that there are 90 oak species available in the US (and hundreds more worldwide), how did white oak become the standard? Flavor? Availability? Tradition?
Do any of the distillers / producers use anything other than white oak?