At Independent Stave, the largest maker of wooden barrels in the world, CEO Brad Boswell explained that toasting the inside of the barrel before filling it brings sugars in the wood to the surface.

Experts know that real bourbon is all about the ... but the type of wood is just as important. Oak is the designated wood for ...

How can solid oak produce all those flavors and spices ... bourbon so beautifully as the liquid interacts with the wood. As those barrels are aging whiskey for four, five or six years, some ...