What happens to whiskey once it enters the barrel?

Join master distiller and educator Jake Norris for an in-depth workshop on barrel maturation at Silver Brothers. In this interactive session we will taste whiskies throughout various stages of aging, and examine the variables that shape a whiskey as it progresses in the barrel —from barrel size, oak and char to entry proof, temperature, warehouse conditions, and time—and how decisions made before and during maturation affect the finished spirit.

Jake Norris is one of the founding figures of American craft whiskey. Jake was the head distiller at Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, a pioneer in the American Single Malt movement, and later the founding lead distiller at Laws Whiskey House. Jake also co-founded the Denver Whiskey Club, and has consulted for numerous distilleries across the country. In 2026 he launched the Curated Barrel Project, eight quarterly releases of a 7-year high-rye bourbon, each finished in a different cask. Jake is currently launching a whiskey distillery in Arvada, Colorado slated to start production later this year.

The workshop will combine discussion with guided tasting, using whiskey and barrel samples to explore maturation in the glass and consider a deceptively simple question: what does the barrel actually do?

The workshop will take place at the Silver Brothers distillery and tasting room in Old Chatham. Limited to 12 participants. $50 per person. Purchase tickets