Reclaimed from a Kentucky bourbon rickhouse
Authentic Luxury Whiskey Distillery Fireplace Mantel
$899.00
Each mantel is cut from an upright that carried full bourbon barrels inside a distillery rickhouse for years. We cut it to your length, refinish it by hand and ship it with the bracket that mounts it.
- An authentic rick upright from a Kentucky bourbon distillery
- Cut to your length and refinished by hand
- Heavy-duty mounting bracket included
- Delivered nationwide
- Custom lengths cut on request
Before it was a mantel, it held up a rickhouse.
Bourbon ages in rickhouses: tall timber warehouses where barrels rest on wooden rails, tier after tier, several floors high. The rails sit on uprights, and the uprights carry everything above them. A full barrel weighs more than 500 pounds, and a rick holds rows of them for years at a time.
Your mantel is one of those uprights. It stood inside a working Kentucky distillery through summer heat and winter cold while the bourbon around it aged. When it came out of the racks, we brought it to our shop, cut it to length and refinished it by hand. The marks and color in the wood come from that working life, so no two mantels look the same.
From the rickhouse to your wall
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Salvaged
The beam comes out of the barrel racks of a working bourbon distillery, where it stood as an upright.
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Cut to length
We cut each beam to the length you choose, from 44 to 80 inches, or to a custom length.
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Refinished by hand
We clean and refinish the wood by hand, keeping the marks and color it picked up in the rickhouse.
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Shipped with its bracket
It's packed with the bracket that mounts it and shipped to your door.
Why a rickhouse makes bourbon
The wood in this mantel spent its working life inside the place where bourbon gets its color and most of its flavor. Here's what was happening around it.
- The barrel is new, every time
- By law, bourbon must age in new, charred oak containers. Each barrel holds bourbon once, and much of the whiskey's color and flavor comes from that charred wood.
- The weather does the work
- Traditional rickhouses aren't climate controlled. Summer heat drives the whiskey into the charred oak, and winter cold draws it back out. Year after year, that cycle gives bourbon its depth.
- Every floor ages differently
- Heat rises, so barrels on the upper floors age faster and more intensely than those near the ground. Distillers track where each barrel sits and blend from different floors.
- Bourbon is American by law
- In 1964, Congress recognized bourbon as a distinctive product of the United States. Kentucky is still where most of it is made.
Details
| Lengths | 44" to 80", plus custom lengths by request |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 80" long, Width & Depth Vary Between 6" & 8" |
| Mounting | Hidden post bracket, included |
| Shipping weight | About 80 lb |
Character, not defects
This is reclaimed structural timber. Expect checks, nail and bolt holes, rail marks and color changes along the grain. They come from the beam's years in the rickhouse and are part of what makes each mantel one of a kind.
In the box
- Your whiskey distillery mantel, cut to the length you chose
- Heavy-duty mantel bracket
Care
- Wipe with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners.
- Don't set hot items directly on the wood, and use coasters under drinks to prevent marks.
The bracket that comes with it
Every whiskey mantel ships with our heavy-duty mantel bracket, the same bracket we make for our heaviest beams. It's a flat plate that fastens to the wall studs, with two posts that the mantel slides onto. Once the mantel is on, the bracket is hidden and the beam looks like it floats.
Holes run every 2 inches along the plate, so you can hit your studs wherever they fall.
| Plate | 2 in × 24 in |
|---|---|
| Fastening holes | Every 2 in along the plate |
| Posts | Two, 6 in long |
| Post spacing | 12 in apart |
How to hang your mantel
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Check your fireplace clearances
Wood is combustible. Before you choose a height, look up the clearance your fireplace, insert or stove manufacturer and your local building code require above the firebox.
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Mark the height and a level line
Decide where the mantel will sit, then mark where the bracket plate goes and draw a level line across the wall at that height.
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Find the studs
Run a stud finder along the line and mark every stud. With holes every 2 inches, the plate will line up with your studs wherever they fall.
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Fasten the bracket
Hold the plate on the line with the posts pointing out, check it with a level, and drive lag or structural screws through the plate into at least two studs. Don't rely on drywall anchors alone for a beam this heavy.
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Slide the mantel on
With a helper, line up the holes in the back of the mantel with the posts and slide it on until it sits flat against the wall.
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Check it
Confirm the mantel is level and doesn't shift when you press down on the front edge.
Fire safety and installation
Wood is combustible. Keep the clearances from the firebox required by your fireplace, insert or stove manufacturer and your local building code; you are responsible for a safe, code-compliant installation. Every wall is different depending on framing, blocking and finish, and our delivery service doesn't include installation. We strongly recommend a professional installer to anchor the mantel securely. Old World Lumber isn't responsible for faulty or inadequate installation.
Shipping
We deliver nationwide. Your mantel is packed with its mounting bracket and shipped from our Texas warehouse. Shipping cost and your delivery estimate are shown at checkout before you pay.
Because of its weight, your mantel may arrive by freight. The carrier will contact you to schedule delivery, and delivery is to your door. Please inspect the beam and the packaging before signing and note any damage on the delivery receipt.
Shipping weight: about 80 lb.
Returns
Questions about a delivery or a return? Call us at (713) 510-9289 and we'll help.
Reviews
No reviews yet. If you own one of these mantels, we'd love to hear how it looks in your home.
Questions
Is this wood really from a bourbon distillery?
Yes. Every mantel is cut from an upright that supported the barrel racks inside a Kentucky bourbon distillery's rickhouse.
Is the mounting bracket included?
Yes. Every whiskey mantel ships with our heavy-duty mantel bracket. See the mounting section above for its dimensions.
Can I get a length that isn't listed?
Yes. Call us at (713) 510-9289 and we'll quote a custom cut.
Will my mantel look exactly like the photos?
No two are alike. Grain, color, checks and marks vary from beam to beam. That variation comes from the wood's years in the rickhouse.
How high above my fireplace should it go?
It depends on your fireplace or insert and your local building code. Check the manufacturer's required clearance for combustible materials before you install.
Do you install it?
Our delivery service doesn't include installation. We strongly recommend a professional installer to anchor the mantel securely.
Need a different length?
We can cut a whiskey mantel to the length your fireplace needs. Call us and we'll quote it.