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The whisky aging of the future

Whisky only matures to its inimitable grandeur in the cask. Meanwhile, the world's most modern cask storage facility is not located in the Scottish Highlands, but in a hamlet in eastern Switzerland.

The drum storage of the future

The Scots can pack up. Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But they'll have to dress warmly in any case. Switzerland is currently developing in giant steps into a stronghold of whiskey production. The Macardo Swiss Distillery in Strohwilen TG plays an important role in this development.

Strohwilen what? The hamlet belongs to the tranquil Amlikon-Bissegg and is home to the most modern barrel warehouse in the world. Once a whisky has been distilled, it is stored in wooden barrels for refinement. Wooden barrels, handpicked and purchased at international auctions, which previously housed sherry, port or other whiskies.

The images of "cask warehouses" in Scotland, Ireland or the USA are well known: Soot-blackened warehouses in which barrel after barrel defies time. This is atmospheric for the eye, but very time-consuming for the care of the barrels and their contents.

When Marcardo moved into its new domicile at the end of 2020, it also inaugurated its brand-new barrel storage facility. "We call it Barrel Storage 4.0," reveals Master Distiller Bartholomäus Fink - borrowing from the Industry 4.0 claim. And indeed, technology plays a central role here as well. Each barrel hangs individually on a steel beam, which in turn is equipped with sensors.

Fully automated, their data flows daily via Bluetooth to a central computer. They show the cellar master, for example, how big the sip of the angels is, the infamous "angel's share" in other words. It describes the loss of whiskey that evaporates through the wood of the barrels. To keep this loss to a minimum, the microcask is perfectly adjusted in terms of temperature and humidity. The control system is fully automatic.

And if a fire were to break out one day, liquid nitrogen would smother the flames within seconds. Although the maximum capacity of 450 barrels has not yet been reached, the Macardo barrel storage facility is a true treasure trove. Incidentally, fruit brandies, brandy, and rum, for example, also mature in the perfectly air-conditioned Barrel Storage 4.0

Only the finishing, i.e. the aging in the selected woods, gives the brandies their exquisite taste. In addition to the microclimate in the barrel cellar, the barrel itself plays an immense role. The type of wood, size and wall thickness are crucial. And, of course, what has already matured in the barrel.

Recommendation:
Macardo Single Malt Whisky, national and international award winning, 100% Swiss production in small batches, distilled from sustainably grown barley.

https://www.macardo.ch/produkt/single-mold/

©Author: Lucas Huber

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Macardo barrel storage
Macardo Swiss Distillery
Macardo barrel
Martina and Andy Bössow