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The Impact of Seasonality on Spirits in the Barrel | Video Tip

To everything, there is a season... but to a barrel-aged spirit, there are several. Those fluctuations in temperature play a key role in how the wood affects the liquid’s flavors. In this clip from his video course, Santa Fe Spirits master distiller Stephen Julander discusses climate, barrel placement, and more.

Stephen Julander Sep 25, 2024 - 2 min read

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As one of the more successful and longer-established craft distilleries in North America, Santa Fe Spirits has won numerous awards and ardent fans for terroir-focused products such as its Colkegan line of mesquite-smoked whiskeys. Since its founding in 2010, the distillery also has accumulated a sizeable barrel stock and considerable expertise in getting distinctive character from its barrels and blends.

In the full video course, Sante Fe master distiller Stephen Julander zooms in on barrel-aging to cover a range of topics, including:

  • the social importance of the wooden barrel
  • the anatomy of a barrel, and different types
  • crafting spirits meant for successful barrel-aging
  • planning for evolution of character and loss to the angel’s share
  • knowing the rules and regulations of whiskey and aging
  • barrel maintenance and tips on re-use
  • how different barrels impact color and character
  • the impact of seasonality, climate, time, and location
  • tightening barrels to ensure a seal
  • careful stacking and minimal movement
  • tasting the stock, blending, and bottling
  • Colkegan’s own mesquite-smoked character, and how that affects aging and blending

And much more.

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