Sherry, port, honey, sauternes, french, tokaji, toasted, and so much more. The world of cask finishing has exploded. It's what many consider to be the current wave of innovation for today's bourbon market. I mean, is there a bourbon brand that hasn't done a secondary cask finishing yet? However, this world is still a bit like the wild west. Companies are dumping bourbon into casks, there's stave additions, and there are other oak alternatives. So how do you know if your port finished bourbon is actually finished instead of blended? Unless there is a level of transparency, it's really hard to know. That's why Lee Tatum and Cody Ewars of Innerstave are joining the show. They give a history of how Innerstave had traditionally been used in wine for ages and now there is a desire for their products to be used with bourbon. We discuss what makes their oak finishing products different and how they can replicate a process time and time again versus pressing your luck on a barrel that came over from another country on a container ship. Show Notes: Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about aging rye vs wheated bourbons Lee, what did you invent as part of the innovation team at Brown Forman? Cody did you see journalism on the decline? What did you mean when you thought that the wine space needed to change? Can you give a background of Innerstave? Can you explain what these oak alternatives are? How would someone go about using your product? How have we not seen bourbon aged on a pirate ship yet? Is this repeatable and consistent vs cask finishing? What does the menu look like for types of oak alternatives? @innerstave Support this podcast on Patreon