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How do you barrel age your own bourbon?

How do you barrel age your own bourbon?

The easiest way to accomplish aging is to add charred American white oak sticks or shavings to a jar or bottle of spirits (such as the product picture to the right). The charred wood will naturally absorb and release spirits contained within the vessel, allowing the wood to impart its flavors to the spirit.

Can bourbon be aged in used barrels?

To be bourbon, it must be aged in a bourbon barrel. A bourbon barrel must be a new, charred oak container. Other whiskeys frequently utilize used barrels, but to be bourbon, the barrel must be new. However, many bourbons are moved into other barrels to be finished after the aging process is complete.

How much does an empty bourbon barrel cost?

The prices of these barrels (particularly the whiskey and bourbon ones) will cost you from $149 to $229, depending on the quality and status of the barrel itself.

Can you age bourbon at home?

Many barrel aging kits are available online, ranging in size from 1-20 liters. They look great on your home bar and leave the most room by far for experimenting. Leave your cask until the wood swells enough to make it liquid tight. This could take only a few hours, but better to be safe and wait a few days.

How long should I age my bourbon?

Often, the right age is a little younger than you think. Many of the whiskey industry’s most respected distillers have gone on record saying their favorite age for bourbon usually falls somewhere in the six to 12 year range.

Does whiskey age faster in a smaller barrel?

The general rule is that the aging process can be sped up from about two to six times, depending on the size of the miniature barrel. As a result, aging for a year in small oak barrels could impart the same flavor as aging for two to six in an industry-standard barrel.

How many times can a bourbon barrel be used?

A bourbon barrel spends the first two-plus years of its life imparting rich flavor and color to the bourbon aging inside its charred oaken staves. By law, a barrel can be used just one time to distill bourbon in the US, despite the fact that these well-crafted barrels have a “lifespan” of up to 60 years.

How many times can you reuse an aging barrel?

Generally speaking, after curing and filling the barrel three times, the impact of the oak will diminish over time. As a general rule, the barrels can be reused the following number of times for each specified spirit: Wine- 1 Time. Whiskey / Bourbon – 4 Times.

How much does an empty barrel cost?

An empty jack Daniels barrel costs roughly $160. These are the barrels jack Daniels uses to age their whiskey. For $300-600 you can find quality barrels they are not sanded or polished as they are used for function and storage. The display barrels are based on the real thing.

How expensive is a barrel?

An oak barrel can range in price from $900 all the way up to $2,000 depending on if it is made from American Oak or French Oak. An oak barrel will only continue to give your wine that oak flavor for, at most, 8 fills.

Can you drink unaged whiskey?

“This whisky is bright, sweet and soft, which is everything you want in a wheat and barley spirit. There’s even a slight note of grapefruit in the finish. This is an incredibly versatile whisky and it is excellent for cocktails, especially in a sour and a Collins.”

How long does barrel aged bourbon need to age?

For now, the best barrel aged bourbons take at least four years and are even more desired if they are aged much longer. There are taste limits to aging as well. When barrel aged bourbons take more than 10 years, the wood taste is even stronger.

Should I age in a bourbon barrel?

There’s no minimum for how long the spirit needs to stay in the barrel, but most age at least a year or two. Many experts agree that Bourbon becomes mellower and better to drink with time in the barrel, and often peaks at about five to 10 years. Bourbon must be bottled at a minimum of 80 proof (40% abv).

How does barrel aging affect the taste of wine?

Barrels allow small amounts of oxygen to react with aging wine, which allows tertiary aromas to develop. Oxygenation also softens tannins, making wine taste smoother, though barrels simultaneously impart their own variety of tannins (ellagitannins or gallotannins) to wine.

What goes into a bourbon barrel?

Under Federal law, bourbon barrels are made from new oak, invariably white oak or quercus alba, a species prevalent in the eastern half of North America. Compared to other species of oak, white oak is noted for its particularly intense character, such as its ability to produce a strong vanilla-sweet flavor. A freshly felled oak tree.