single barrel refers to the use of aged spirits, typically whisky, from a single barrel to fill individual bottles for sale. The effects of aging vary from barrel to barrel, and for that reason distillers usually “dump” a (sometimes very large) number of barrels together to ensure consistency. Single-barrel spirits, on the other hand, will carry all the unique qualities and variations of an individual barrel. Bottlers will often handwrite the barrel number, aging warehouse, and other details on a label to underline the authenticity of the contents, and some consumers will seek out bottles from specific barrels. In the nineteenth century, when spirits were shipped in barrels, most whiskies were single-barrel; the modern practice, however, was pioneered in 1984 by Elmer T. Lee with the Blanton’s brand.
See also Blanton’s.
Chuck Cowdery. “We Like Single Barrel Bourbons. Here’s Why.” Chuck Cowdery Blog, February 7, 2011. http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2011/02/we-like-single-barrel-bourbons-heres.html (accessed April 5, 2021).
By: Clay Risen