The smooth experience of whiskey can be credited to the intuitive and scientific process of barrel aging, a technique rooted in Celtic history and still utilized today. Suggested by its name, barrel aging involves patient and attentive maturing of a spirit within a wood barrel—a symbiotic relationship between barrel and spirit that influences the aroma and flavor of whiskey and other spirits like bourbon and rum. Originally used as a durable container for shipping spirits, the happy accident of wood barrels gives distillers an effective and creative means for producing spirits rich in quality and enjoyed by novices and connoisseurs alike.