by Don Williams | Jul 8, 2022 | Bourbon basics, Bourbon Information, Bourbon review, What's New at Charlie's
Four Frequent Bourbon Falsehoods Many things are said, published, and documented about bourbon, but four frequent bourbon falsehoods often come up in discussion. In fact, many new bourbon followers are confused by these four statements. This is an example of a fine...
by Don Williams | Jan 8, 2021 | Bourbon history, Bourbon Trivia
The artistry of barrel making is a skill that dates back more than four thousand years but is still relevant today. Coopers are barrel makers, and they have played a valuable role in American history. When the Mayflower sailed to America, there was an onboard...
by Don Williams | Feb 21, 2020 | Bourbon history, Bourbon Trivia, Distilleries
During a recent bourbon tasting, a participant asked about the origin of the term rickhouse. I explained I was not sure, but specially constructed buildings known as rickhouses, rackhouses, or warehouses are in use to store and age bourbon. One way of storing barrels...
by Don Williams | Dec 27, 2019 | Bourbon Travel, Michigan Distilleries
I love the barrel aging process and the great bourbon it creates. When researching barrels, you commonly hear about keeping up with demand by running 24/7 and creating hundreds of barrels at a time. However, it is not often you hear the terms prime oak, fire...
by Don Williams | Aug 1, 2019 | Bourbon basics, Bourbon history
Bourbon aging in a warehouse at the historic Buffalo Trace Distillery Lately, we have been receiving a lot of questions regarding barrels and barrel aging. Let’s take a fresh look at bourbon barrels. The beautiful color of bourbon and many of the complex flavors...