Kádár is a joint venture started in 2008. This collaboration joins the nearly 50 years of experience and connections that Budapesti Kádár has in the tight grained forests of northern Hungary with the seasoning and coopering expertise of Taransaud.
The Hungarian forests are not only populated with the same species of oak as France, they boast one of the oldest systems of managed forestry in Europe. This careful husbandry has provided a consistent and renewable source of high quality oak for centuries, and should continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Kádár focuses on the forests of the northern Tokaj mountains where the trees grow more slowly, providing tight grained, dense wood. This exceptional density leads to slow extraction and lower evaporation rates.
Kádár barrels are very elegant, with long tannins, more spice and less sweetness than the traditional French barrel.
The expertise from Taransaud has led to numerous small changes in the production of these barrels improving many aspects of quality, consistency, finish, toasting, and traceability
The most significant of these is that the wood is now being seasoned next to the new stave mill in the mountains of Tokaj. Here the wood is exposed to more wind and rain creating the molds and enzymes that transform the wood during the air-drying process.
We have been selling these barrels since 2010 and are seeing great results.