435 - Sourcing Exotic Barrels with Jessica Ann of H&A Barrel Management

The trend of cask finished whiskey is here to stay. It's run rampant over the past few years to the point that every single company has one. But how are barrels sourced? How many times can a barrel be used before it longer gives off those different flavors? To answer these questions and a lot more, I've invited Jessica Ann from H&A Barrel Management on the show. We've had the pleasure of knowing Jessica for many years. She recently got herself into the market of brokering barrels for different cask finishes. Jessica gives us the low-down on wine and exotic oak finishes and how difficult they can be to attain. There's a lot to break down such as types of oak, toast level, and if cooperage reputation has any prestige. With the wide variety available, we're going to see even more trends hit the market soon.

Show Notes:

Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks if Pappy is a NDP.

How did you and Fred connect?

How many times can a barrel be used for wine aging?

Why is French Oak the preferred type for wine?

If I need barrels, what do you have readily available?

What does STR mean?

How are different barrels valued?

How many times can those barrels be re-used?

In the used barrel market are there cooperages that have more prestige?

What are some of the newest barrels people want that aren't common?

Do customer's ever request different toast and char levels?

How do you properly read a wine barrel?

Talk about your barrel leasing program.

How do you find out about the various oak species available?

@bourboninsider

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