A Barrel Journey: How New Riff Distilling Perfected Their Barrel Maturation
By Chad Spalding, ISC Barrel Account Manager
ISC has been dedicated to our customers’ success for over one hundred years. As oak experts we partner with distillers and play an active role in supporting customers on their unique journey to unlock flavors. From barrel charring, seasoning and toasting, all the way to exploring grain type and oak species, we’re there every step of the way.
Earlier this year, I caught up with our friends at New Riff Distilling to better understand the path they took in selecting their barrels. Today, I’m happy to share the story straight from Jay Erisman, Co-Founder and Vice President.
"When you're starting a distillery, it’s easy to be tempted by the many barrel customization options available from ISC. Back in 2014, we felt that same urge. But we were lucky enough to have guidance from our mentor, consultant, and Jedi Master Distiller, Larry Ebersold. Larry’s advice was simple and direct: ‘Guys, just get a barrel. Just get a damn barrel—a traditional American whiskey barrel. Start aging, establish a baseline, and then later, you can make adjustments.’ So, we followed his advice and began with the classic ISC char #4 American Oak barrel.
After several years of aging, we started to gain insight into the direction our whiskey was headed. From those conclusions, we made the decision to switch to toasted barrels—a process at which ISC excels.
Following that decision the ISC team invited us to taste some research samples from trials they were running on barrels made with extra-air-dried staves: 18-month staves in the Cooper's Select product, and 24-month staves in the Cooper's Reserve line. We loved how these staves enhanced the whiskey, so we added a generous amount of both those to our orders.
Lastly, we changed up the toast profile on the barrels; for the Cooper’s Reserve barrel, this included a heavy toast but with char #1. Yes, you read that right— char #1. Each of these changes added more complexity to our overall wood profile across all our whiskeys.
If we were to offer any advice to a new distiller, it would be the same wisdom we received from Master Larry: Start simple. Learn your whiskey in the barrel, and once you understand it, make some moves. It sure worked for us.”
We’re proud to share New Riff’s barrel journey and even prouder to have been part of their process, helping bring their outstanding products to market.
You can find more information about our products online at iscbarrels.com or give me a call at 270-699-1557.
Chad Spalding
Account Manager