In the world of bourbon, subtle changes in the production process can lead to big differences in flavor. Two popular techniques that distillers use to create unique and nuanced whiskey expressions are staving and secondary finishing. While both methods focus on influencing a bourbon’s flavor through interaction with wood, they take different approaches to achieve that goal. Let’s break down the differences between the two and how each one enhances your bourbon experience.
What Is Staving?
Staving is a technique where additional wooden staves (thin pieces of wood that can be prepared any way a normal barrel stave is treated) are placed inside the barrel during the aging process or inserted into the whiskey itself post-aging. These staves are typically made from the same oak used for barrels, but they can also be freshly toasted or charred to different levels to bring out specific flavors. The staves can also be from barrels that held other spirits or used to age wine, and can be cut to different shapes and sizes to affect the amount of surface area in contact with the liquid.
How Staving Works
Staves are inserted into the barrel or even directly into the tank where the whiskey is resting. By adding these extra pieces of wood, distillers can intensify certain flavor elements and aromas—such as vanilla, caramel, or spice—in a very controlled and creative way. They could decide to use just one kind of stave, or may decide that a blend of different treated staves might give them the flavor they want to achieve.
Why Distillers Love It
Staving allows distillers to dial in specific characteristics that they want to enhance in the whiskey. It gives them complete control over how much wood influence they add, all while sticking with the same base product. The use of staves can accelerate the extraction of certain flavors, meaning distillers can achieve a richer profile in a shorter time. The can also be used as a chef might use a spice rack, to add in more flavors of complexity to a lackluster spirit.
However, that potential quick impact means that spirits in the staving process often need to be monitored with frequent sensory evaluation to stop the process at exactly the moment the flavor reaches the desired effect, and not a moment before or after.
The Flavor Impact of Staving
With staving, you’ll often notice a boost in flavors like vanilla, spice, or dried fruit. Staving with different types of wood, from American Oak, French Oak, or other less commonly used wood drives a precise flavor into the spirit. The additional wood surface area provides more contact with the whiskey, which can result in deeper, more concentrated notes. Think of it as turning up the volume on some of your favorite bourbon flavors.
For the distilleries specializing in staving, it’s an opportunity to treat use the staves as you would a spice rack, influencing flavor, complexity and mouthfeel through the presence of the staves and their time in the barrel. Different types of stave treatments, from the temperature, type and duration of toasting, to the char level and even whether the stave is seasoned drives the exact flavor addition.
The Rules Surrounding Barrel Staving
Bourbon must be aged in new charred oak containers (traditionally barrels). The use of additional staves inside the barrel does not negate this requirement, but the bourbon must still adhere to the rule of aging in new charred oak containers. If staves are added to the aging barrel, the product can no longer be labeled as “straight bourbon” or “straight whiskey” because this process is considered a secondary alteration.
Instead, it must be labeled more specifically to indicate the process, such as “bourbon finished with oak staves.” Whiskey products using stave-finishing techniques must clearly specify on their labels the type of staves used (e.g., French oak, toasted oak) and the finishing process involved. The flavor obtained from the staves must result purely from the interaction of the wood with the spirit, rather than through artificial enhancements. As with any bourbon or rye whiskey, the only thing that can be added to the spirit once finishing has completed is water.
What Is Secondary Finishing?
Secondary finishing (also known as “double-barrel” or “finishing”) takes bourbon that’s already been aged and places it into a second barrel for an additional period of time. This barrel can be made from a different type of oak, toasted or charred differently, or previously used to age other types of spirits like wine, sherry, or rum.
How Secondary Finishing in Whiskey Works
Once the bourbon has completed its initial aging in new charred oak barrels (as required by law for bourbon), it’s transferred into a different barrel for additional aging. This second barrel introduces new layers of flavor that wouldn’t have been possible in the original cask.
Why Distillers Love It
Secondary finishing is like giving your bourbon a makeover. It’s an opportunity to add complexity and depth by borrowing flavors from the barrel’s previous use or its unique wood treatment. Distillers love it because it allows them to craft more intricate and layered whiskey profiles, often appealing to more adventurous drinkers. It’s a way to create additional expressions and verticals using the same base distillate as the typical aged product from the distillery.
In some cases, the whiskey is bottled from a single barrel. In others, multiple finished barrels can be combined in a batch of to create a release.
The Flavor Impact of Secondary Finishing
Depending on the type of secondary barrel, you might experience rich new flavors like dark chocolate, red fruit, or even toasted nuts. Bourbon finished in a wine cask might bring out juicy, jammy notes, while a sherry cask could add a hint of nuttiness, sweetness and spice.
Each secondary finish offers its own twist, making these bourbons a playground for your palate. Distillers must often make tricky decisions about the type of spirit to age in a secondary barrel, the proof it goes into the secondary barrel, how long to leave it and where to place it in the rickhouse. Each decision affects the final nose, flavor and finish of the whiskey.
The Rules Surrounding Barrel Finishing
Like staving, to be legally called “bourbon,” any finishing or additional processes must adhere to these foundational rules. The TTB allows this process, but the product cannot be labeled simply as “bourbon” if secondary barrels are used.
Instead, it is typically labeled as “bourbon finished in [type of barrel]. The TTB mandates clear labeling for whiskey that undergoes secondary finishing. The label must specify the type of secondary barrel used, and it must indicate that the whiskey has been “finished” in another type of cask. This ensures transparency and helps consumers understand the finishing process.
While secondary finishing is allowed, bourbon cannot have added flavoring or coloring agents. The flavor that comes from the secondary barrel must be purely from the wood interaction, not from additional ingredients.
Staving vs. Secondary Finishing: The Key Differences
While both staving and secondary finishing rely on wood to alter the flavor profile of bourbon, the two techniques achieve this in very different ways:
- Timing: Staving can occur during the initial aging process, with additional wood introduced to the barrel or whiskey early on. However, it’s usually added into the first or second barrelling based on what kinds of flavors have already developed in the barrel as it has aged. Secondary finishing happens only after the primary aging in a new charred oak barrel, as the bourbon is moved into a new barrel for a specific period.
- Method: Staving adds new wooden staves to the existing barrel, whereas secondary finishing uses an entirely new barrel—often one that has aged another type of liquid beforehand.
- Control: With staving, distillers have fine control over the impact, adjusting the type, size, and treatment of the staves – and whether to just add one type of stave or multiple staves. In secondary finishing, the character of the new barrel dictates the added flavor, so distillers are working more with the nature of that specific barrel.
Which Finishing Technique Should You Look for on the Shelf?
Both techniques result in delicious, unique expressions of bourbon. If you enjoy exploring new dimensions of flavor without straying too far from the classic bourbon profile, you might prefer staved whiskeys. On the other hand, if you love bold, experimental flavors and don’t mind venturing into new territory, secondary-finished bourbons are worth seeking out.
Whether it’s the amplified wood influence from staving or the bold new flavors from secondary finishing, both methods showcase the creativity and craftsmanship that make bourbon so exciting. So the next time you pour a dram, take a moment to appreciate how the whiskey in your glass was made—and which technique helped shape its journey.
In Conclusion
Staving and secondary finishing are two innovative techniques distillers use to bring out the best in their bourbon, each offering a unique take on flavor enhancement. Whether it’s adding wooden staves for extra intensity or finishing bourbon in a new barrel for a flavor boost, these methods highlight the endless possibilities in the world of whiskey. Ready to taste the difference for yourself?