In a nonchalant setting at the base of the green rolling hills on the outskirts of White Sulphur Springs is the West Virginia Great Barrel Company.
If one was heading to the Greenbrier State Forest with their mind on a hike or forest bike ride or rolling down Interstate 64 toward the coast, it’s possible you missed it.
This relatively new business arose from the devastation communities like White Sulphur Springs suffered in the wake of the June 2016 floods.
The budding business came about as relief organizers helped those affected by the floods and saw more was needed than just roofs over resident’s heads. New economic development was also needed for the Spa City.
According to WVGBC General Manager Brett Wolfington, founders like Tom Crabtree who helped with the White Sulphur Springs Hope Village project and others recognized the need for more high-paying jobs in the area to help the rebuilding efforts.
Through the involvement of a local distillery, Smooth Ambler Spirits, the need for high-quality barrels became the topic of conversation.
The distillery was already using barrels made West Virginia lumber but companies outside the state were making them.
Now, through much thought, coordination and hard labor, the West Virginia Great Barrel Company is making Mountain State barrels from West Virginia trees.
According to Wolfington, the company currently employs 90 people and has begun making a name for itself in the whiskey world.
The company began full production in March of 2020 and has partnerships with Smooth Ambler, Bardstown Bourbon and the SHIN Group (a whiskey producer in Japan), among other distilleries all over the United States and overseas.
Producing A Perfect Barrel
The West Virginia Great Barrel Company utilizes a multitude of techniques from natural resources, natural processes, and cutting techniques to create barrels unlike other companies.
The company works with state foresters to responsibly and sustainably timber the Appalachian White Oak trees that are used to make their barrels.
“The White Oak is growing faster than it is being consumed,” Wolfington stated. But be assured, they work with loggers and foresters for responsible forest management.
Further, Wolfington said that they aren’t able to use all parts of the tree so portions with knots and other flaws are sold to be used elsewhere. By selling to sawdust and pellet mills, the company tries to make sure all parts of the cut trees are used even if they can’t be used for the barrel making process.
“We aim for a zero-waste operation,” Wolfington said.
From there, the wood from Appalachian White Oak trees is timbered into staves and aged at Audrina Mill, a wood mill in Monroe County.
The wood is then settled in the middle of a valley for a minimum of six months (sometimes much longer depending on the barrel to be produced) utilizing a natural wind tunnel to season the wood and eliminate the tannins.
“Older wood can produce more flavorful products,” Wolfington stated.
Once the wood aging process is complete it is brought to the cooperage in White Sulphur Springs.
There the barrel staves are cut, finished and rounded so they are wider in the middle. Working with cutting edge equipment allows the barrel company to create a product that “leaks less than any other barrel on the market,” Wolfington said.
The company uses a cutting-edge Windlass machine that helps create tight barrels.
“To our knowledge, it’s the only fully automated Windlass in the world,” Wolfington said. “It helps give our barrels a consistent shape.”
The consistent shape is important as it affects how the barrel is toasted and charred — processes that help give different whiskeys distinct flavors.
Wolfington stated that a controlled and remote environment is needed for charring.
While many barrel makers toast over wood fires, Wolfington said, the Great Barrel Company uses infrared toasting, which not only allows them to control the temperature but also allows for the toast to go deeper into the wood.
“Whiskey pulls sugars and other flavors from deep within the wood,” Wolfington said.
The toasting and charring processes allow for that to happen and create unique whiskey flavors.
“The majority of our partners toast and char their barrels,” Wolfington said. “We are right at the forefront of this trend.”
But he did say a few of the company’s clients use the barrels as they are — no toasting and charring — for their brands.
The process of toasting and charring barrels is much like the techniques coffee bean roasters use to create different flavors from coffee beans. The wood reacts differently to each tweak of char and infrared temperatures, allowing distillers to create new and unique whiskeys for their consumers.
Different roasting temperatures of coffee beans achieve much the same effect, creating new flavors for consumers to give them unique experiences with each purchase they make; whiskey is uniquely similar.
As for the future of the company, Wolfington said things are looking brighter.
More clients or partners are expressing interest in the company’s barrels.
Currently, the WVGBC is a one-shift operation for barrel making. But Wolfington hopes they soon will be able to employ a second shift and expand their operations beyond where they are now.
“We’re seeing an uptick in customers and are looking to future expansion and double our capacity,” Wolfington said.
