The longer the spirits are left to mature at Oak barrels, the enhanced flavor is developed. Using oak barrels for aging spirits is a tradition in the liquor business. The difference in the barrel type can dramatically impact the final product’s flavour, smell, and even look. These features have their importance for liquors. All of them provide specific advantages and features that can shift the balance of the spirit. Understanding the differences should enlighten enough distillers on what to do according to their product type.

What New Oak Barrels Offer?

The new oak barrels for spirits have not been used before and have a smooth wall on which the spirits will be aged. Neither has the wood come into contact with anything wet; this means it can give off the taste more freely. When spirits mature in new oak, they pick all these flavors faster. It also gives the spirit a more decadent, more complex flavoring in a shorter period.

New barrels have different characteristics from old ones. The new barrels are charred, giving the spirit a deeper colour. In practice, the inside of the barrel is burned before it is used in the preparation, and the compounds formed give both the color and taste. So when the spirit is sleeping in the barrel, it appears golden/amber coloured. It can help the spirit become more appetizing since the vision is changed.

Flavour

For distillers, the main benefit of aging a new oak barrel is the ability to regulate flavor to a large extent. The distiller is free to make various choices regarding the flavoring of the spirit, such as using American or French oak. They also can regulate the degree of charring inside the barrel.

New oak barrels enable the barrel to enhance the flavor of oak seasoning, which is considered strong. For spirits that Pali aging in these heavily flavoured char options like whisky or bourbon, new oak is usually preferred.

The Cost Factor of New Oak Barrels

However, there is a disadvantage to using new oak barrels, which may be expensive. New barrels can cost a lot of money to make. This may result in the distiller transferring these costs to the consumer, making the final product costly. Because of this, new oak barrels are usually used on premium or high quality liquor only because they release their natural aroma in later stages.

However, several distillers who spoke to Drinks spoke to Drinks Business agreed with the sentiment, noting that the benefits of using new oak barrels outweigh the expense. The rich flavors accompanying the easy finish can justify using new oak.

What Used Barrels Offer?

Used barrels have been used to contain a spirit or another type of liquor. This means that some of the natural flavors are released when burning the wood. Therefore, the used barrel gives the spirit used a relatively mild flavor. This can be an advantage to distillers who wish a lighter wood flavor.

Barrels are commonly used to impart a softer, rounded character to spirits. They enhance the views without masking the taste of the base spirit. For this reason, many rum and tequila producers favour used barrels. The spirit takes on enough character to encourage taste but not the heavy barrel character of new barrels.

Using Barrels to Come up with Distinctive Tastes

Another advantage of the used barrels is that it is possible to introduce distinctive flavoring from the previous liquid. For instance, it is often observed that if a barrel houses wine or sherry, some fruity or sweet flavors are transferred to the new spirit. This adds an extra layer of taste depth and cannot be replicated using newly created barrels.

The type of used barrels can be varied to try out a new mix of flavoring for the distillers. This provides them with a lot of latitude in developing their spirits. Open top barrels also offer the advantage of coming cheaper than new barrels because they were used before.

Slower Aging Process

Owners of used barrels can provide unique notes, though they slow down the aging of spirits in comparison with new ones. This is evidenced by a decreased ability to influence the spirit; the wood has had its shortened powers within the game. Consequently, the maturation period is longer in a used barrel. For distillers who wish to generate alcohol quickly, this could be a disadvantage.

Cost Factor

The used oak spirit barrels are cheaper than the new ones. This makes them suitable for patrons who wish to produce low-cost products, especially for distilleries. This is because most distilleries use the same barrels for several runs to maximize its use. It can explain the general tendency of the decline in expenses, including cost per kilowatt of energy sold, mainly for low power producers.

Read also: 4 Global Expansion Strategies for a Growing Business

The Right Choice Depends on the Spirit

Any choice must have been made based on the requirement. Selecting new or used barrels can be made depending on the type of spirit produced for aging. Intense, concentrated alcoholic beverages, such as whiskey, bourbon, or brandy, contain appropriate new oak barrels. Some advantages include intense wood flavors, deep color, and fast aging.

Used barrels are good in spirits, such as rum, tequila, or certain whiskies that require less treatment than new barrels can give. They contribute delicate, subtle wood flavours, aromas, and different notes from the previous liquid.

Conclusion

The new and used oak barrel ideas have their advantage in developing spirits. New barrels provide rich flavors, a darker hue, and faster maturing, while old barrels produce mild flavors and the character of the previous contents. Which of the two is preferred is determined by the type of spirit and the intended flavour of the cocktail.

Which option is most economical for their brand and lessens the duration their spirits are aged does not directly affect the flavor. As it will be seen, regardless of placing the spirits distilled in new or previously used barrels, the aging process is an essential factor in crafting flavorful spirits.