When whisky is withdrawn from the still and reduced with water, it is placed in a bonded warehouse in oak containers, which have been previously charred. This is different from the English, Scotch and Irish whisky, in which countries charred casks are not used. It is claimed that whisky kept in a burned barrel reaches the proper flavor at four years that would take the whisky in unburned barrels to reach in 8 years. The color extracted from the charred wood is very deep so that American whisky which has been four years in wood is very much deeper in color than Irish or Scotch whisky of the same age. Whether or not the whisky is improved by the charring of the barrel is a question left for experts to settle. Some claim that the character of the spirits is very much improved, while others claim that only age will give the proper flavor, color, etc.