Aging Bourbon With Real Maple Wood

When people hear “maple-finished bourbon,” they often imagine syrup barrels – and the sweetness that comes with them. But syrup isn’t the only way to bring maple into a whiskey. We take a different approach. By aging our bourbon with spiral-cut pieces of real maple wood – not syrup-soaked barrels – we extract only the wood’s natural character, allowing the bourbon’s flavor to shine through. 

Maple Wood Spirals vs. Used Maple Syrup Barrels

When bourbon is finished in a used maple syrup barrel, it absorbs residual sweetness and flavor from the syrup that once soaked into the wood. This method creates a strong sweet finish. 

Maple wood spirals, on the other hand, only add the natural flavor of the wood itself. Rather than masking the spirit, spirals allow the whiskey to engage more deeply with real maple wood. Over time, this results in a more integrated, authentic finish: not syrupy sweet, just rich maple wood.

Why Use Spiraled Wood In Bourbon Barrels?

A solid wood stave could take years to achieve the same depth of flavor. By cutting the wood into a spiral, we massively increase its surface area and give the bourbon more contact points for flavor extraction.

In short, more surface area = more interaction = richer flavor, faster.

Think of the spiral like adding more “edges” inside the barrel, giving the whiskey more ways to interact with the wood’s natural compounds.

How Maple Wood Spirals Interact With The Bourbon 

Here’s how we do it:

• Maple spirals are inserted through the barrel’s bung hole.
• The barrel is sealed – no agitation, no rotation.
• The spiral rests in the whiskey for three to 12 months, depending on the desired flavor profile.

During this time, the spirit slowly draws out complex notes from the maple wood: subtle sweetness, toasted woodiness, and a warm, earthy depth. These flavors become part of the bourbon – not layered on top, but woven in.

Bourbon Finished With Real Maple Wood Character

This isn’t maple-flavored bourbon. It’s bourbon finished with real maple wood character. 113 Bourbon delivers subtle sweetness, toasted depth, and warm, earthy notes all woven naturally into the spirit. The result is smooth, layered, and unmistakably authentic.

Want to taste the difference? Try 113 Bourbon and experience what maple wood can really do.