Small barrel aging time chart

A lot of painstaking effort and care goes into the magic of bourbon-making. This spirit must be made in the United States and uses predominantly corn in the mash bill, which creates its characteristic sweetness that people know and love.

However, a bourbon's true depth of flavor comes from the lengthiest step in the process: Letting the liquor chill out in a barrel to mature and mellow. Understanding how the aging process works will help you understand and buy bourbon like a pro.

Most bourbon is aged for at least two years, and it must be done in new, oak barrels that have been charred.

Many distillers prefer to use American white oak, and barrels should be liquid-proof, but not fully airtight.

Does bourbon age in the bottle

This gentle airflow helps to impart more of the taste of the oak, though it does result in some of the liquor — between 2% and 5% — evaporating out of the barrel. This loss is referred to as the "angel's share."

The barrels' charring process will depend on the style of bourbon or whiskey.

Charring helps to open the pores of the wood so it can better

whisky barrel storage

how long to age whiskey in a 15 gallon barrel