The requirements for aging bourbon are actually federal law. New oak barrel, period. Anything else is whiskey.
There is some irony there, an illegal moonshiner quoting federal law.
So one of my kids new customers is a very famous bourbon maker in Kentucky. We spent the day with their master distillers not long ago. Needless to say we learned a lot. Yesterday we put that knowledge to the test, it is fermenting now and based on all the initial indicators this batch might be off the charts.
I quit my job and started a hydraulic parts and repair shop. Basic cylinder repair right now and making replacement hydraulic lines. I will eventually get into machining replacement components for cylinders.