This article is the first in The Wood Series - three linked pieces exploring the deeper story of the cask. It was inspired by our earlier article, The Cooper’s Art, which argued that the barrel maker may matter more to what is in your glass than the distiller. If you have not read it, I would encourage you to do so before continuing - it sets the scene for everything that follows.

Here is something I find myself saying at tastings with increasing frequency, and which I have come to believe is genuinely true: the person most responsible for what is in your glass is probably not the person whose name appears on the label. It is not the Master Distiller, however celebrated. It is not the head of production, the blender, or the brand ambassador. It is a craftsperson who almost certainly works in a different building