Video / How To Make A Whisky Barrel

We recently had the privilege of watching a cooper construct a whisky barrel from scratch. So, we thought that we would share the experience with you by recording it. Below you will see Brian Morgan from the Speyside Cooperage in Alloa, Scotland use his training and skill to build a cask using only the wooden staves, metal hoops and traditional tools.

The video is split into two parts. In Part 1 you will see how he takes the basic components and puts them together to form a recognisable barrel, while in Part 2 you will see the finishing touches that make the barrel watertight and ready to receive spirit. Watch and enjoy, and we hope you find it as fascinating as we did.

Visit - Cambus Cooperage

The Cambus Cooperage. (Image © Pat Roberts)

Cambus is a cooperage that rebuilds and regenerates whisky casks for the portfolio of Diageo's single grain and single malt distilleries in Scotland.  The cooperage, which is one of the most modern such facilities in the world, is built on the site of the old Cambus single grain distillery from which it takes its name.  The Cambus distillery was demolished in 1993 and the cooperage opened in 2011.

Visit - The Speyside Cooperage

The Speyside Cooperage is located on the outskirts of Craigellachie, just off the main road between the village and Dufftown in the heart of Speyside.  It is the largest independent cooperage in the UK and the only one with a visitor centre.  This won a prestigious Icons of Whisky award in 2011 for Visitor Attraction of the Year and includes a gift shop, cafe and small cinema.  Many times we have sped passed and contemplated a visit, but on a recent press trip there were finally a couple of hours free to pop in.