Charred barrel historical factoid or myth?

[Jono]

I think this is one of those pioneer tales that has a germ of truth but got distorted along the way. I keep expecting Captain Ahab and whale oil, Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone to turn up in the story along with a mule named Bess.

[KYPayne]

I don't know about Elijah Craig and his barrels, but that sucker sure distills some fine whiskey.

[cowdery]

The Elijah Craig story about the frugal minister who didn't want to waste a barrel is pure fiction. It was concocted in the run-up to Prohibition by misguided pro-alcohol folks who thought it would give bourbon some cover if its inventor was a minister. It didn't work. Craig was real and he was a distiller, he just didn't invent bourbon.

[Bourbon Boiler]

Sounds kind of like the Abner Doubleday stories.

[Shuboy]

This story also makes little sense when Scotch whiskey distillers were already using used barrels around the same time or earlier. Since sherry was shipped in barrels to the UK, the distillers had access to an influx of empty barrels to fill with whisky that needed to be transported to market.