Bourbon Barrels

ID: 1963

This file appears in: Bourbon Whiskey/Jacob Spears

Whiskey is aged in new charred oak barrels for up to 10 years in warehouses like the one shown here. The evaporation from the whiskey is called "the angels’ share." Courtesy of Hopewell Museum.

This file appears in: Bourbon Whiskey/Jacob Spears

Bourbon Whiskey/Jacob Spears

By Hopewell Museum

Historical Marker #2295 in Bourbon County explains the history of bourbon whiskey and Jacob Spears, one of the first distillers in the county. Early settlers first came into central Kentucky in the 1770s. One thing they often did after staking…