Know Your Barrel

The importance of the barrel in the making of whisky is as important as fuel is to a car. The type of barrel, its condition and the time it's allowed to mature inside are responsible for turning the clear, almost flavorless liquor that leaves the still into the honey-colored spirit we see in the bottles. Canadian Mist is aged in white oak barrels until the desired flavors are obtained. These 50 gallon casks are made specifically for Canadian Mist by Brown-Forman and are charred to the prime specifications in order to give the whisky it smoothness and vanilla tones. The company manufactures their own casks and sell them to Scotch and brandy distilleries after using them only three times, it is that important to the distillers to have a consistent barrel. Harold Ferguson, Master Distiller of Canadian Mist, makes such a point of the barrel factor that he says, "…the key to whisky is to know your barrel."

There are many other small details vital to the Canadian Mist process that contributes to its quality and the company's efficiency. For one, a barrel machine that fills and empties barrels with ease as they travel along a conveyor belt with a vacuum designed to get every last drop from the dark barrels. To compliment this process the bungs, or corked holes, are placed in the top of each cask, offering easy access to the contents. And, just to cheat the "angels of their share" (natural evaporation through the wood that distillers expect and write off) the barrels are wet down before any liquor is added.