CLIENT FEATURE
Feature : Black Swan Cooperage
A Story Of Family Craftsmanship
Black Swan Cooperage is a family-run cooperage based in northern Minnesota . Cooperages are businesses that make barrels and casks of all types . There are only about thirty operating in the United States today . Many of these cooperages utilize new technologies and techniques in order to fulfill their production quotas . Black Swan , however , relies on traditional machines and equipment that range from fifty years old up to one hundred years old . Black Swan prefers hand-making its products in order to ensure the high quality that it is known for and maintain its flexibility when it comes to producing custom products for its customers .
The story of Black Swan begins with family . Owner Heidi Korb started the company after she graduated from college . Her family had been involved in the cooperage business for decades , and seeing an opportunity to stake her claim in the industry , Heidi hit the ground running . She brought on her father , Russ , who handles research and development . With over twenty years in the barrelmaking industry , Russ has spurred many innovations , including the HONEY COMB technology that Black Swan Cooperage is most known for . Mary Ann handles bookkeeping and office work to make sure everything stays organized and runs smoothly . Finally , there ’ s Whiskey and Smokey , the family dogs . They maintain order when nobody else can .
The barrels produced at Black Swan have a character of their own . Barrels are made with the best American White Oak that can be bought . Black Swan produces a number of barrels , including the Black Swan Traditional Barrel , the Black Swan Standard Barrel , and the Black Swan HONEY COMB Barrel . Each type of barrel can be used for aging spirits or beer . The HONEY COMB Barrel Alternative is a unique wood insert which can be put into any aging vessel and is available in nine unique wood species , offering multiple flavor profiles while also accelerating maturation and maximizing extraction rates .
Black Swan operates based on the values that the company was started with . It puts family first , treating both its employees and its customers as though they were part of the family . Heidi never set out to make another faceless company in the crowd , instead focusing her staff on putting out high-quality products with a handmade approach . Black Swan has grown over the years to employ over fourteen staff members while still maintaining its quality and safety standards across the board .
The hands-on , family-based approach that Black Swan is known for is what keeps it operating . It doesn ’ t cut corners , it doesn ’ t seek to automate everything to cut costs , and it focuses on producing high-quality , artisan barrels and casks for anyone who needs them . Whatever your need , Black Swan can create barrels which can be customized specifically for your requirements , be it a different level of toast , a specific flavor profile , or just a little different character .
For more information about Black Swan Cooperage , you can contact them at heidi @ blackswanbarrels . com or 218-237- 2020 . +
BY : JIM KAMPHENKEL NESBIT AGENCIES
8 | FALL 2016