Finished In

French Oak

from the Forest of Tronçais

The French Oak staves used in the inaugural Explorer release come from the Forest of Tronçais and were selected because of their accentuated notes of spice and leather. The oak trees from this forest have been used to make barrels for centuries and have housed some of the finest Bordeaux wines ever made. The Forest of Tronçais was originally overseen by the Duke of Bourbon and was later planted with oak trees by Louis XIV to supply timber for the French navy. The Tronçais region was also home to early European troubadours whose musical traditions of merging melodies and poetry ultimately migrated to the Appalachian Mountains - which became the heart of America’s singer-songwriter tradition. 

Finished In

American Oak

from the Appalachian Mountains

The American Oak staves used in the first Explorer release come from the same Appalachian Mountains that were home to the roots of country music, where cooler conditions lead to slower growth and a tighter grain. This results in a specific mix of sweetness, richness, depth, and viscosity that pair perfectly with the spice of the French Oak as a key finishing component. Explorer’s Appalachian Oak was also harvested near where Whiskey JYPSI’s co-founder Eric Church grew up in North Carolina.