Barrels are one of the most important elements of the entire ageing process. For artisan producers and industrial distilleries alike, what goes into the barrel is only half the story. What comes out depends heavily on the quality of the barrel that your spirit will be spending so much time in. If you don’t use an authentic and high-quality used barrel, you may only find out later on when it is much too late!
Whilst it may be tempting to go for cheaper used barrels from mysterious suppliers with no cooperage of their own, you may be making a costly mistake. Many barrels are not legitimate and often are just rinsed with the Port wine or whatever so they may smell ok when you remove the bung, but there will be virtually no penetration into the staves. Also, many used barrels will have been poorly maintained and not properly checked/repaired before they are sold on. Here are some problems you may encounter with substandard used barrels:
1. Unwanted flavours
A good barrel should bring out the best in your spirit. But if it’s been badly cleaned or stored, poorly seasoned or over-toasted (or not toasted at all), it can do the opposite. Think musty aromas, sulphurous notes or bitter tannins. In some cases, the spirit can end up tasting like the inside of a damp shed and you don’t want to have to write that on your label…..
2. Inconsistent ageing
Consistent, controlled oxygen exchange is what allows a spirit to mellow and mature. If a barrel’s construction is sloppy (loose staves, wonky heads, uneven charring), it throws everything off. You get some casks over-aged and others underdeveloped. Not exactly a recipe for consistency across batches.
3. Leaks and cracks
Even a hairline crack can turn into a costly leak. Every barrel we ship has cracked staves removed and replaced with staves reclaimed from others in the same batch, but not every barrel supplier will do so. Buying a batch of barrels that has some not watertight can cause all manner of headaches for distillers. Finding replacements can take a long while, as well as the obvious costs of lost spirit and clean-ups.
4. Contaminated barrels
Just because a barrel looks fine on the outside doesn’t mean it’s clean on the inside. If a barrel has previously been stored in unsuitable conditions or not properly cleaned, you can get mould and other nasties growing inside it. Once you have received your shipment of barrels, this may mean a lot of time and expense wasted cleaning them out. And even then, it may be impossible to recover them fully.
5. Trouble with compliance
If you’re shipping across borders or looking to meet certain phytosanitary certifications, the barrels that have not been properly cared for may not comply. This can be an expensive problem to resolve.
Taking a risk on your used barrels means risking your entire production run. Whether it’s a used port wine cask or a brand-new virgin oak barrel, the safest option is always to buy from a cooperage that knows what they’re doing and checks every single cask that leaves their yard.
At LusoBarrel, we only sell barrels that we’d be happy to use ourselves. Every single one is inspected, repaired (when necessary) and pressure tested. We only source our used barrels from trusted sources we have built up long-term relationships with, so in this minefield of sourcing used barrels, we can always be 100% confident that our used barrels are the real thing.
We may not always offer the lowest prices for used and new barrels, because there are so many cowboys in the market (!). But we pride ourselves on being a reliable and trustworthy partner. Come and visit us in northern Portugal and see for yourself!
