Sustainable Aging: How Reusing Barrels Reduces Waste in the Beverage Industry

The beverage industry has always looked at new ways to create exciting new taste profiles. Quite notably, one such way is through barrel-aging of whiskey, wine, and beer. The spirit finds its character and unique taste through barrel aging. In time, with increased consciousness toward preserving the environment, this industry, too, strives to make its activities sustainable. Refilling empty barrels may be one of the best ways to do that. Used bourbon barrels avoids needless wastage and contributes toward creating new and exciting flavor features.

The Science Behind Flavor: Why Is Barrel Aging Special?

Barrels are almost always oak. Oak has several natural chemical compounds that impart the wonderful aromas of vanilla, caramel, and spice to the spirit held within. Before barreling, the inside is charred. The thin coat of charcoal works somewhat as a filter, filtering out profanity from the drink. Charring produces a more lascivious dripping from the woods into the drink. While aging, the drink enters the wood, picking up all the really nice flavors and colors. The more time the drink spends in this barrel, the more it tastes.

Used Bourbon Barrels: challenge or opportunity?

Bourbon is one of those beverages that, by law, must be stored in new charred oak barrels. This variation of law has made sure that a barrel, once used to store, will never be used as an aging instrument for that very same spirit. This ends up creating a huge number of flavorful barrels. These barrels are a treasure for other spirit-makers. While wine barrels are often constructed for multiple uses, bourbon barrels are built for one, which makes the secondary life of one barrel really special to another industry.

This is an important decision to make as far as reusing barrels is concerned. First-use barrels impart a very strong flavor to the drink. Reuse will make it a little more refined tasting; hence, it will be suitably balanced with a more nuanced flavor. Hence, many brewers and distillers are now aging their products in used bourbon barrels. It is an original way for them to put their own white-glove treatment on each beverage.

Sustainable Impact of Reusing Barrels

Reusing a barrel creates an opportunity for waste reduction in the beverage industry. Such secondary-use barrels reduce the number of trees that need to be cut down to make new barrels. Not to mention that fewer barrels have to make their way to dumps, which is a plus for sustainability. Sustainable aging started gaining prominence over the past few years, especially as more companies are looking to lessen their carbon footprints.

Some economic factors at play encourage the reuse of barrels. The second market for used barrels provides an avenue for an extra income for the distilleries. Other beverage producers can buy fewer finished barrels at a discount. The easier it is for smaller craft producers to do barrel work, the more they can try barrel aging and develop several new and exciting products.

The used barrel market is on the rise

The demand for used barrels is growing. The brewers use them to infuse the beer with rich and complex flavors. For many years, Scotch and Irish whiskey makers have been employing used bourbon barrels to impart a softer and sweeter taste to their spirits. Other spirits follow suit: rum, tequila, and even some wine makers are using those barrels in their beverages to impart a distinct character. The growing market for used barrels is a clear endorsement of both their versatility and usefulness which could really be harnessed with a little bit of creativity, turning what was once considered a waste product into a valuable resource.

Less focus has been put on finding aged barrels for a potential sustainable aging program among beverage companies. If bringing in a huge variety of used barrels from the bourbon industry is your concern and you wish to learn more about their benefits to your products, a visit to a reputable barrel source is worth considering. One such reputable source is Rocky Mountain Barrel Company, with ownership of a great inventory to search through. The company has an enthusiastic approach to helping its clients find the right barrels for their respective needs and would be an ideal partner to work with in pursuing sustainable aging.