Cognac Encyklopedia - Cognac Barrell Infographic

COGNAC BARRELS Maturing is very important for a good Cognac, the slow ageing in oak casks. The used wood for those barrels is selected because of its ability to transfer certain aromas to the spirit. The contact between oak and eaux-de-vie not only gives the Cognac the nice colour but also the bouquet and certain notes. There are several oak producing regions around the world, that are used for barrel production. The French are Argonne, Vosges, Nevers, Tronçais, Allier, Bourgogne, Armagnac (Landes) and Limousin. OAK WOOD FOR BARRELS: Cognac only ages in oak casks made from wood from the Tronçais and more often from the Limousin forests. Two varieties of oak were selected because of their special characteristics: Quersus pedunculata and Quersus sessiliflora. Those wood varieties are hard but at the same time fexible. The wood comes from 80-100 year old trees. The diameter of the trunk must be from 60 centimeters to one meter. This marks it as a mature male tree that can be married to the distilled spirit. BARREL MAKING PROCESS: When a barrel is assembled by hand, staves are placed into a circle with one or two fitting a cable around the top staves, heating the inside of the barrel staves with fire, and cooling the outside with water while hoops around the bottom, then the top staves are pulled closer together by pulling the cable tight. Here though, the half-assembled barrel goes into a giant steam machine and the cable is tightened automatically. When it comes out, the cooper fits the top hoop and tightens it on. Another important component in barrel making is the metal circular hoops that hold the staves in place. Levon doesn't like the ones now being made because they bend too easily. He then heads down to the workshop to begin the 'toasting' process on a completed barrel. The level of toasting imparts a unique favor to the liquid that will be stored in it. Here to0 oak is burnt.