![orphan barrel rhetoric orphan barrel rhetoric](https://cdn.caskers.com/catalog/product/cache/ce56bc73870585a38310c58e499d2fd4/o/r/orphan-barrel-rhetoric-23-year-old-bourbon-1.jpg)
The whiskey would remain, some would say forgotten, maturing at Stitzel-Weller for the next 14 years. The aging stock at Bernheim, which Heaven Hill and the other distilleries didn’t purchase, was transferred to Stitzel-Weller. All of these brands once had stock at Stitzel-Weller. Sazerac (Buffalo Trace) purchased the Old Weller brands, and Rebel Yell went to the David Sherman Company (Luxco).
![orphan barrel rhetoric orphan barrel rhetoric](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51379b83e4b02119d184b2a2/1501021855584-FB19K66HTW4KLLZG6APZ/Orphan-Barrel-Rhetoric-22.jpg)
The Bernheim distillery was sold to Heaven Hill, along with the Old Fitzgerald brand. The Glenmore distilleries were sold to Barton. In 1999, Diageo began selling off many of the various brands and distilleries that UD had acquired to other companies. It’s not clear if any stock from the other historic UD distilleries was also transferred for aging there. The original stocks of whiskey distilled at Stitzel-Weller were also kept there. Higher warehouse temperatures result in more extraction from the barrel wood, darker tints, accelerating aging, higher proof and produce more flavorful whiskey. They had steam heat, were warmer and experienced less variation in ambient temperature. The Bernheim warehouses were built of brick. This is an unheated, metal clad warehouse and experiences more pronounced temperature variations. The Stitzel-Weller warehouse was quite large and had good air circulation, so it was used for aging some of the whiskeys produced at Bernheim.