The wood factor
Did you know?
1.
The American oak tree, which is used to make barrels, is 100 years old on average. The barrels made from French oak, on the other hand, are even 200 years on average.
3.
Today, the oak tree population worldwide is much larger than it was 50 or even 100 years ago, as less wood is used as a building material today.
5.
About 2 barrels can be made from one tree trunk.
2.
Oak wood is impermeable to water.
In contrast to all other woods, the pores of oak are impermeable to water. This is due to the closed cell structure and the fact that the pores of the wood core are embedded in tylosis.
4.
Most of the oak used to make barrels comes from France, followed by the US and Eastern Europe.
6.
About 55% of the trunk of an American oak can be used to make a barrel.
With a French oak, however, there are only
approx. 25%.