THE BARREL

After the barrels are selected, to ensure that the unique flavors and aromas of whiskey and sea air are preserved, they are wrapped in watertight material and  shipped over to AN CRANN DARACH warehouse in southern Germany the same week.  On arrival,  the barrels are once again checked inside and out to ensure the quality is still good and that no cracks are visible or drying out has occurred.  After they are accepted the already blended rum is poured in and left to lie for its final maturation.  The cellars are all over ground and ensure a dynamic pressure and temperature change up to 20 dgs difference in  a day which is important for a maximal exudation of all those flavors and aromas imbedded in the wood from years of being near the coast  storing Irish whiskey.

As the temperature drops in the barrel room the pores of each American oak barrel contract and expel the alcohol.  The reverse occurs when the temperature rises, drawing new rum into the pores.  Unlike rums matured in cellars where the climate is constant this frequent shift in temperature and pressure allows more of the rum to come in contact with the oak in its aging life.  

After maturing for up to 24 months depending on the barrel, the rum is filtered and bottled. To uphold the unique character in the rum and be certain it gets the most  from the barrels they are used only once. Each barrel has its own special personality which is imbued onto the rum which is at its strongest for the first maturation.  It is still possible to get those woody malt and smooth characteristics from a second or third batch but not as pronounced. So, when all these factors are taken into consideration and correctly carried out the result as you can imagine is a well balanced, very smooth and full bodied rum.
When we decided to create AN CRANN DARACH XO AMBER RUM  we wanted to create a  premium rum without using any added sugar, aromas or flavorings all the flavors in our rum are due to natural interactions between the barrel and rum and of course and the type of rums in the blend …..but that’s another story!

Click THE BARREL GALLERY to find out more