# But I heard on a documentary that scotch makers take used american
# bourbon barrels and french brandy barrels and use them for scotch
# production. So I am assuming that they are charred. If not, how does
# brandy get the golden color?

scottish whisky makers tend to us mainly used bourbon or sherry casks
I think they re-charr most of them from memory.
The flippant answer to the golden colour is caramel. A lot of whisky makers
add caramel to their product to get the golden colour people expect.
Whisky take from a bourbon barrel is often of extremely pale colour when
no caramel is added. Practically colourless.

There is a current trend to use other barrels in whisky production (port, rum
brandy, wine) often, but not exclusively, just for a final maturation period
of around 2 years. For example Bruichladdich are currently using barrels
from CHATEAU D YCHEM for whisky maturation for a limited production.

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