Our Processes
When we set out to build our first new plant it was imperative that we incorporated new technology into all areas.
Coopering is a craft and will always be so, however by incorporating new ideas with existing methods we are now able to build a barrel that is stronger, consistent in size and quality with little variability. For the customer this means that each and every time they order a barrel it will be the same, hold the same, fit in the same space and look the same. For quality purposes we have removed the variability and can guarantee you the exact same barrel each and every time you order.
Our new processes are custom built just for us – we partnered with machine makers from the US and Europe to find the best way to make our cooperage equipment. The result is safer equipment for our employees to operate, machines that consider the environment and use less energy, better ergonomics and less waste. We have blended a craft with new technology in order to create a world class barrel.
Raw Materials
At Speyside Bourbon Cooperage, we personally select all of our raw materials from steel to staves. We have taken our time to select the best vendors; recognizing the importance each type of raw material we use has on the end product, and ultimately our end user.
We purchase staves and heading pieces from all three of the white oak producing areas in the US. This includes the Ozarks, Appalachian and Northern regions. The white oak we purchase is carefully inspected by our team of log buyers to ensure that it meets our strict requirements for excellence.
All of our white oak goes through a long drying process consisting of time on our yards, time in our pre-dryers and ultimately time in our kilns.
At every stage of the drying process we sample our material for desired moisture content verifying that it meets our quality specifications. No glue or nails are used in the production of our barrels; rest assured that what you receive from our Cooperage is contaminant free. Our barrels are held together tightly by our high quality steel hoops that we make every day in our plant. We source our steel to our specifications and store it inside under roof to ensure a high quality product. We work hand in hand with our steel supplier to ensure that the material we receive is consistent, free of any residues and has the strength that we demand.
The end result is that our customers get a barrel that is smartly made with strength and integrity and will create a superior product.
Custom Jointing
Speyside Bourbon Cooperage is the only cooperage in the market today that joints exclusively on CNC jointing machines; both stave and heading.
Why is this important? CNC jointing produces a dimensionally correct stave and heading piece every time. Both the joint and the finish of the wood are superior to traditional jointing methods. Better dimensioning coupled with a better finish mean that our barrels fit together more tightly, thus providing the customer a more consistent product, one less prone to any type of leak.