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America
American White Oak Barrel
Looking to try your hand at barrel-ageing? Then this is exactly what you need - a barrel! This is a 1 litre barrel made from brand-spanking-new fresh American white oak, which has been given a medium toast level.
So, when you get your hands on your very own barrel, don't just go whacking your favourite spirit in there right away, because you may notice that the metal hoops around the barrel might feel a bit loose. What you'll need to do is cure the barrel. To do this, you'll want to fill the barrel with hot water to thoroughly soak the wood. Don't have the bung inserted in the barrel; for this. Leave the water in there for at least 24 hours, but note that it can take up to a week for the wood to fully swell, sealing up any gaps between the staves and keeping the whole thing together. Thirsty little rascals. You'll also need to do this again if the barrel hasn't been used in a while.
Given the fact that no other spirit has ever been stored in the barrel, the effect of the oak on the spirit you fill into it will be very forceful. If you’re after creating your own whisky from new-make spirit, or indeed transforming a vodka into something oak-rich and powerful, this is good news. If you’re after adding a subtle barrel-aged note to a light and delicate cocktail or gin, then it’s probably not a good thing – you’d be well advised to store some vodka or ‘something else’ in it for a couple of weeks first.
Finally – The rate of evaporation from these puppies is quite large. The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, the surface area to volume ratio of the barrel is very high, and secondly, you’re probably not going to keep it at as low a temperature as you’d find in a warehouse in Scotland. You can expect to lose a fair old percentage per month if you’re keeping them at room temperature, so keep an eye on them and regularly turn the barrel to keep all parts of it wet.
Height including stand - 175mm
Length - 140mm
Diameter – 120mm
Circumference - 377mm
works well and does the job . Arrived very well packaged but still looks very rough around the edges not at all pristine as shown in the picture , this however has not put me off and I will buy another
Purchased my barrel at the beginning of December, followed the instructions by leaving in some warm water for 24 hours to rinse out the splinters and seal the staves. I then went ahead and put in some russian standard vodka - I managed to get in about 1.1L in the end - eight weeks later...wow! The flavour profile changed a little bit each week, but it took 8 weeks to stop tasting like vodka and start tasting like a bourbon, but it was delicious. Smooth, smokey, and sweet, but with a real nice oaky hit. The spirit itself looked a bit grey/dark, rather than the golden brown colour we're used to, but it tasted just like a whiskey. It's now been bottled, and I have just put in some white rum for my next batch..I'm hoping to get a more natural taste out of rum, as it probably lends itself more naturally to oak aging than vodka. All in all, a fantastic purchase and thanks to the chaps at Master of Malt for selling it and being so helpful. Twas my first barrel purchase, but it certainly won't be my last...
First barrel had a small leak that wouldn't seal. After four days I rang to discuss my options (as a complete novice) and a replacement was delivered the following day - no hassle, just great customer service. New barrel is perfectly sealed and has its first fill of sherry! Thanks chaps.
I'm gonna have to get a bigger barrel from yourselves . I have tried the ILtr barrel and it's worked a treat .however after much use the caramel/vanills notes fade slightly . unless i char the barrel more for flavour . but i will look forward to a bigger barrel and mor barrels of fun. i can see why jim beam and others only use the barrels once !
Hello there! Unfortunately, at the moment we are having some supplier issues with this product. We are trying our best to bring these back into stock, but we do not yet have a concrete date. Do check back, however, as we will list them as soon as we have them. --The Chaps at Master of Malt