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On a distillery tour, some of the most unforgettable views come from observing rickhouses filled from top to bottom with massive oak barrels. Each barrel houses whiskey in progress, gradually absorbing the attributes of the wood and interior charcoal to eventually deliver the famed complex, amber-colored spirit. However, a question inevitably arises: “How many bottles can be made from a single one of these enormous barrels?”

You’re not the only one curious about this! Intriguingly, even though the U.S. doesn’t have explicit regulations about the size of oak barrels distilleries need to utilize, most distillers opt for a standardized barrel size known as the American Standard Barrel (ASB.) These ASB barrels typically accommodate around 53 gallons of newly-distilled whiskey.

If you chose to bottle the contents of one of these barrels on the spot, you would yield approximately 267 bottles of unaged whiskey, also known as “white dog,” “moonshine,” or “white whiskey.” However, the calculation for quantity of properly aged whiskey derived from a barrel is a tad more intricate.

As whiskey ages in an oak barrel, several things happen — some of which will ultimately impact the barrel’s yield once it’s fully matured. One important element is the “angels’ share,” a charming term for the whiskey that evaporates during aging. The longer whiskey ages, the more it loses to the angels (aka evaporation.) The extent of this loss depends on factors such as geographical location, climate, and conditions like temperature and humidity within the warehouses where the barrels are stored.

Another thing to consider is how whiskey is prepared for bottling. Unless it’s labeled as “cask strength” (meaning it’s not diluted), some bottles have whiskey mixed with water to lower the alcohol content (from 52-66% ABV in cask strength down to 40-46% ABV.) In such bottles, even if the label says it holds the standard 750 milliliters (about 25.3 fluid ounces), not all of it comes directly from the barrel. Barrels used for making cask-strength will yield fewer bottles than those that go toward making diluted whiskeys.

Because of these factors, it’s tough to predict the exact number of bottles a barrel will produce. Estimates vary, with some distillers suggesting an average of 200 to 300 standard 750-milliliter bottles per barrel. Depending on the actual yield, distillers will adjust their pricing accordingly. Older barrels that lose more liquid to evaporation are usually more expensive to recoup the loss.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.