Timber Talk: The impending bourbon crisis and need for white oak management

By Jenna Reese, Executive Director of the Ohio Forestry Association

A crisis is imminent, and the average bourbon drinker is unaware. The bourbon industry depends on Ohio’s supply of white oak trees for their favorite beverage. Bourbon distilleries and other contributors in the supply chain have been concerned for several years about the impending crisis and are becoming involved in initiatives to regenerate white oak.

One such contributor is Speyside Bourbon Cooperage, LLC in Jackson. Speyside is a manufacturer of barrels specifically for the bourbon industry. Kentucky Bourbon regulations require a white oak, or more specifically Quercus alba, barrel that has never been used and is properly charred. After a barrel is used for bourbon, it can then be sold for other products like spirits, wine, beer, maple syrup, etc., but its time in the bourbon industry is over. Speyside operates at maximum capacity and has three stave mills to support their production. A stave is a relatively short plank that is flat and cut at an angle. Staves are hand formed into a barrel shape and then rimmed to hold the staves in place.

White oak is an eastern United States species that has experienced significant population decline due to climbing demand and a range of historical factors. It’s estimated that we are going to run out of white oak for bourbon barrels in 20 to 30 years. The odds of a white oak log making it to a stave mill are incredibly low. Beyond the difficulty of an acorn maturing into a healthy oak tree, the tree must be perfect. That means no turns, knots, crotches, damage or disease. On top of perfection, the white oak needs time to mature — roughly 40 years — plenty of sunshine, and just enough competition to ensure a well-formed tree.

Ohio’s forests are historically rich in white oak, but there is not enough new growth to sustain the this important species according to the White Oak Initiative. The good news is that Ohio’s landowners are the solution to the bourbon crisis. One might think the solution includes planting white oak plantations around the state, but the answer is more complicated. To have enough competition, stave-quality white oaks need to be part of a healthy stand of trees that include diverse species. They also need to be in an area that has those features white oak responds to best. White oak grows most competitively on silty loam, moist, but well-drained soils. They prefer cooler and wetter sites on north and east facing slopes, though they are often outcompeted there by several other species. Thus, we often find them in greater abundance on slightly dryer south and west facing slopes. White oak is moderately shade tolerant and will respond well to regeneration techniques such as shelterwood harvests, which increase sunlight but also maintain some shade and retain some competition. If you do not already have white oak on your farm or property, it is unlikely you could generate a healthy stand there.

If you do have white oak on your property, it is likely under threat from invasive species, shade tolerant native species, canopy cover and deer. White oaks require aggressive management through killing invasives, harvesting timber, fencing for deer and controlled burns. All this can be accomplished with the right forest management plan and hard work, but it can seem daunting. Fortunately, Ohio has many certified professionals who can assist.

If you want to be part of the bourbon solution, the first step is to contact a certified forester to visit your property and develop a plan to manage for white oak. He or she will determine if conditions are suitable for white oak and what needs to be done to support their growth.

There are various resources available to Ohio landowners when starting this process. Often landowners can obtain funding for a management plan and killing invasives through programs like EQIP and CRP. Your certified forester will be able to help you find the programs for which you qualify. To find a certified forester, you can use an ODNR Division of Forestry service forester or a private consulting forester; directories are available on ODNR’s website and the Ohio Society of American Foresters’ website.

Once you have a certified forester and some funding options, the hard work begins. The most time-consuming portion of white oak management is killing invasives, and it is largely up to a landowner to carry out. There is technical assistance available to landowners through the Division of Forestry, The Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Tree Farm Committee and regional forestry associations. Once invasive species are under control, you can work with a certified Ohio Master Logger to harvest timber, plan for a prescribed burn under the direction of your forester, or fence for deer. For a directory of Ohio Master Loggers, visit ohioforest.org.

Ohio’s landowners will ultimately determine the fate of the bourbon industry and other industries that depend on this precious resource. The time is now to get involved and implement forest management for the future of white oak in Ohio.