We take pride in offering 48-month air-seasoned American White Oak. Due to the scarcity of White Oak in recent times, we've partnered with a family-run stave mill in Missouri to ensure a consistent supply. However, our commitment to crafting exceptional barrels remains with our no-shortcuts approach.
Our quartersawn French oak is sourced from the Vosges Forest in northeastern France and air-seasoned outdoors for 48 to 60 months. This process develops rich flavors and minimizes harsh tannins. Importing this high-quality oak to the US has been a significant effort, but we are committed to using the best wood possible.
We discovered a small stash of Oregon White Oak (Q.garryana) that had been air-seasoned for an astonishing 120 months. This oak was purchased from a local cooperage. Once this stack is gone, we don’t expect to find more again.
My French Oak Ex-Wine wood comes from a barrel reconditioning company in Oregon. Here are a few photos of some of the heads, the inside of a head, and the inside of a couple of my barrels after removing tartrate and wine stain.
My Ex-Bourbon wood is from a barrel broker on the East Coast, so detailed information is often limited. I usually rely on stamps and markings for identification. Here are some photos of the heads, the inside of a head, and the inside of a couple of my barrels after removing some of the original char. The original char gums up my tools, so I remove any loose char while keeping as much toasted wood and char as possible.
