Barrels Barrels Barrels

Many of us grew up on stories filled with barrel-related escapades – tales of pirates rolling barrels full of sea-worthy provisions across the deck, or fun facts about the woman who survived a trip over Niagara Falls tucked snugly inside one. Now working on the Archie Rose Distilling Co. team, where many of our daily tasks might also be described as barrel-related escapades, we thought it a good time to tell some stories too. By that we mean all the things we find most interesting – and hope you do too, about our world in barrels. Without further ado, here’s Archie Rose Barrels 101:

Barrels and Casks: A Brief Explanation

Not all casks are barrels, but all barrels are casks. Barrels refer to a specific size of cask (53 US gallons, 201L), while cask is the general term for a liquid-holding container, typically made of wood. Each size has its own name, for example, 500L casks are known as butts.

The Journey of Our Casks

So, you take new make whisky, stick it in a cask then leave it for 10 years. Easy, done, piece of cake? Not quite. Archie Rose casks are sourced from various suppliers in Australia and globally, with a majority coming from South Australia and direct from America. They are then shipped to our Sydney home and received at our Botany distillery where each and every cask is hand coopered and hydrated by our team to ensure they’re in perfect shape. This takes tremendous training and a lot of hard work (not to mention a splinter or two.)

Why So Many Different Casks?

The casks we use differ depending on the make we are looking to mature. For example our Rye Whisky, we use new American Oak casks, whereas our Single Malt Whisky matures in Apera casks. We also have a selection of Bourbon, Port, Sherry and Tawny, along with some exciting (unreleased) casks maturing in our warehouses. Keep your eyes peeled for that. We also stock just about all of these in various cask sizes including: 20L, 100L, 200L, 225L, 250L, 300L & 500L.

How Many Casks Does Archie Rose Have?

The Archie Rose distillery has the capacity to fill 350 (200L) casks per week, and with the average maturation period for just one 100L cask sitting at approximately 3-4 years, and the timeline for larger casks still to be confirmed (though potentially ranging from 5-7 years for 200L casks to 10-12 years for 500L casks) you can bet we’re sitting on more than a few delicious drops just waiting for their time to shine.

The Maturation Process

Maturation contributes to a large part of the flavour in whisky, making it a crucial part of the production process.

Maturation is the process of allowing the cask and spirit to interact. In summer, the wood expands, allowing the pores to open up and the whisky to soak in. In winter, the wood contracts, pushing the liquid back into the cask. Over years, thousands of chemical reactions take place, transforming the new make into the whisky you know and love.

Climate, temperature, humidity, and location, all play a significant role in how a whisky ages and how much of its liquid is ‘lost’ through evaporation in the process. For example, in Scotland, the average loss is about 2% per year, while in Sydney, we experience approximately 10% evaporation. In our 20L casks, the evaporation rate can even reach up to 20% per year. For Archie Rose Distilling Co. maturing our whisky locally comes with its own set of challenges and trials – requiring careful monitoring to prevent too much moisture loss and over-oaking, though we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Can whisky be too old? Yes. The maturation process is a delicate dance of flavour balancing, aiming to balance sweetness with wood. When a cask is left for too long the oak can start to dominate, leaving a bitter note, and resulting in a flavour best described as chewing on the end of a pencil – not what we’re looking for.

Australian Freedom and Flavors

Australian law requires all whisky, brandy, and rum to be stored in wood for at least two years. However, beyond this it doesn’t place any restrictions on casks, allowing Australian distillers the freedom to be creative and experiment with various sizes, types, and aging times. This allows us to craft truly unique Australian whiskies and ever evolve our craft.