The lifespan of a barrel

The limited lifespan of barrels is a global phenomenon that all distillers face. Barrels like any other organic product don’t last forever but their use is crucial to deliver quality aged spirits. This common-faced challenge can be quite unpleasant as an added stress for distillers. The excessive costs of barrels has forced distillers to continue re-using their already used barrels for an extra two or three fills. This results in milder spirits lacking oak potency. Distillers have now been looking more closely at barrel rejuvenation methods to extend the lifespan of their barrels while avoiding this dulling symptom.

The cost of a rejuvenated barrel can range from $100 to $300, and the cost of oak alternatives such as staves and chips quickly add up. However, with innovation on the horizon, distillers are now presented with new economical options that won’t break the bank, like Madeva.

An affordable alternative

Madeva is a new barrel rejuvenation solution that replenishes essential oak characteristics to depleted barrels, restoring them to an almost original state. Using decades of cooperage wisdom and processes, Madeva embraces the history of traditional barrel reconditioning presenting these time-old practices in a simple application.

Fixing the root of the problem

Traditional rejuvenation techniques are often complex and time-consuming, disrupting production. Scraping, toasting and re-charring barrels can only be done a number of times before producing dull spirits. These methods fix the surface of the issue without tackling its root. The heart of the problem lies within the depleted oak layers of a reused barrel. By seeping into these layers, Madeva restores the exhausted compounds using oak-derived metabolites. This, unlike traditional rejuvenation processes, directly effects the root of a bland spirit made from an older barrel. Allowing distillers to get more life out of their barrels, Madeva maintains oak potency with each fill.