Oaked cider is a wonderful and traditional form. It was originally fermented in oak barrels. Often cast offs from wine use or recycled from other uses. Each year the amount of oak tannins that diffuse from the oak decreases . This can be increased again by charring the inside of the barrel. Keeping barrels water tight and clean is quite a job and if serving from a barrel the increasing headspace of air can allow the cider to become acetic. Recently a wine innovation is being increasingly used both in the wine and cider industries. Companies now prepare oak in various grades sizes and degree of charring to add to wine or cider industries a stainless or PTFE barrel. Much more controlled. This is what we do now at Teepee Cider with good effect.