Skip to content

Country

Age verification

By clicking "Enter" you are verifying that you are of the legal drinking age in your location.

Whisky words: charring

Whisky words: charring

Charring is a heat treatment whereby the wood of the cask is ignited. It helps to break down the structure of the oak, allowing for an easier and deeper penetration by the spirit and a more intense interaction with the flavours produced through lignin degradation. 

The charcoal layer also acts as a filtration system, helping to remove unwanted flavours, such as sulphur, from the new spirit. 

There are generally four grades of charring:

No.1 = 15 seconds

No.2 = 30 seconds

No.3 = 35 seconds

No.4 = 55 seconds

This heavy char creates layers of charcoal on the inner surface of the staves, hence its nickname, the ‘alligator char’. 

‘Exhausted’ and ‘tired’ casks can be rejuvenated by going through a process called ‘de-char and re-char’. Essentially, a few millimetres from the inside of the barrel is skimmed off and removed, thus removing the old char. The cask can then be charred again (or toasted - see toasting), thus regenerating the char and also producing a new ‘red layer’ further into the wood. More lignin is thermally degraded, generating more compounds that are water and alcohol soluble. This action grants the ‘exhausted’ a new lease of life in terms of its use for further maturation.

Older Post
Newer Post

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

Related posts

Meet the Educator: Daniel Whittington

Daniel Whittington is our Approved Course Provider in Austin, Texas. He teaches EWA courses on the campus of Wizard Academy and Whisky Marketing School.

Meet the Educator: Samantha De Noia

Samantha De Noia, founder of creative whisky agency 9 Smoking Barrels, is our Approved Course Provider in Madrid. Tel...

Meet the Educator: Joe Cabassa

Based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Joe Cabassa is our Approved Course Provider for Latin America. He is the founder of whisky and spirits education company, Academia De Whisky.

EWA Alumni: Can Ekinci

Tell us a bit about yourself. I am a bartender who loves my job very much. I enjoy doing research for my profession a...

Meet the Educator: Lia Niskanen

Lia Niskanen is the founder of Barrel Strength Talent, a bespoke whisky events and education business. Her focus is o...

EWA Alumni: Martijn van Opstal

Tell us a bit about yourself. I'm a 34-year-old whisky enthusiast who decided to turn his passion into his career. ...
Back to top

Shopping Cart

Your cart is currently empty

Shop now