All About Amburana: Barrell Craft Spirits' Newest Finished Bourbon
Barrell Craft Spirits is thrilled to be releasing a new cask finished series, and we’re starting off with a particularly exciting release: Our first amburana cask finished bourbon.
Amburana is a tropical hardwood sometimes called “Brazilian oak.” It’s known for giving spirits a distinctive cinnamon, floral, tropical, and vanilla flavor that’s unlike anything else. A little bit can give whiskey enticing rounded spice notes, while too much can completely overwhelm the character of the spirit. That means achieving a harmonious balance with the bourbon takes skill, precise timing, and a light hand.
Rather than working with cubes, spirals, staves, or other oak alternatives like many producers, Barrell Craft Spirits’ Chief Whiskey Scientist Tripp Stimson sourced true 53-gallon barrels made from sustainably harvested amburana wood to finish bourbon. It took a full year of R&D to hone in on the right timing and conditions that would create just the right balance of flavor concentration, layering in those heady tropical spice notes without losing the delicious flavor of the bourbon itself.
“You really need meticulous attention to detail when working with amburana,” says Tripp. The wood's strong impact within a short time frame demands a level of expertise that goes far beyond just filling it with bourbon, waiting a few months, and then bottling. Barrell Craft Spirits' approach involves the delicate art of blending and small adjustments to proof, temperature, and other conditions that allow the amburana contribution to shine while complementing the natural attributes of the bourbon, rather than overpowering it.
The result is a cask-finished bourbon that’s not just infused with the essence of amburana, but actually integrates the distinctive character of the wood with the bourbon itself, creating something that’s truly more than the sum of its parts. The sophisticated balance of flavors is a testament to Barrell Craft Spirits’ decades of blending expertise, and a celebration of the boundless possibilities of American whiskey.
You can pick up a bottle of Barrell Amburana Cask Finish online, or use our map tool to find a retailer near you.