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Aging 3L (4 bottles) of Buffalo Trace in a charred oak barrel

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    Aging 3L (4 bottles) of Buffalo Trace in a charred oak barrel

    So a month ago (Dec 7th, 2018) I began aging 4 bottles of good ol' Buffalo Trace in a 3L charred oak barrel (left). I tasted it today, just over a month later, and wow, what a difference already. BT, and if you're a fan you know this, is a great well-rounded bourbon. Inexpensive and VERY tasty. Nothing wrong with it, price nor taste. But aging at home magically makes it better!

    If you're not familiar, aging bourbon in a small charred oak barrel adds a LOT of flavors and subtleties to it. You can make a $25 bourbon taste like a $60 bourbon in a month or 3. To me, this adds a smoother, caramel-ly taste to it. It also adds an oak flavor, which, if you're a fan of bourbon to begin with, you'll likely recognize as a good and desirable thing.

    Anyway, my plan is to go 3 months (or more, maybe 5 or 6 even) but I though I'd update any who followed my previous posts about it, that the 1-month tasting shows GREAT progress!

    The small barrel is now aging gin, (@ ~2 mo currently, and holy cow what a difference in it too) the left barrel is the Buffalo Trace barrel currently.

    Click image for larger version

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    #2
    Can you recommend where to get a good aging barrel? I see a lot of them on Amazon, but with mixed reviews.

    Comment


    • OmegaDog12
      OmegaDog12 commented
      Editing a comment
      This sounds like a great new project. Huskee, where did you get the personalized barrels? Also, still waiting on a reply for the smoking wood
      The OmegaDog

    • Huskee
      Huskee commented
      Editing a comment
      The seller I've used is "Sofia's Findings" they include good instructions on how to season the barrel, ship quick, and allow you to even upload a graphic (what I did on the bigger one). No complaints about them at all.

    #3
    Even though I don't drink those liquids (beer only for me) I love the look and thought of doing it.

    Comment


    • ItsAllGoneToTheDogs
      ItsAllGoneToTheDogs commented
      Editing a comment
      You can barrel age beer! In England they still do room temperature cask ales (they brand them as Real Ale)... never liked 'em, not the temp really but they are very flat. Some had a great taste for me with just a sip, but I could never drink a pint. BUT, a lot of high alcohol content beers are relatively cheap and supposedly barrel age very well... as do sours, but that's another type I never found a taste for. So if you wanted to you could with some research.

    • mnavarre
      mnavarre commented
      Editing a comment
      You can try barrel aging beer in one of those, but depending on the char level and the beer you may find it somewhat aggressive if it's a new barrel. Also a whisky style barrel like that isn't made to be carbonated even to the level of cask beer, so you'd want some way to carbonate the beer after you age it.

    #4
    Awesome.

    If you had a tiny glass jar you could pour a shot or so out and label it "one month". Then again do the same at the two month mark. When it finally hits three months you could do a little tasting and compare them to each other to see what you think.

    Enjoy!

    Comment


      #5
      Very cool Husk! When you are done, you can chop up the barrels and use them in your SNS. Win, Win!!!

      Comment


        #6
        I will be impressed if you get past three months before the barrel is empty.

        Comment


        • Steve R.
          Steve R. commented
          Editing a comment
          Damned angels took more than their share! 😂

        • Huskee
          Huskee commented
          Editing a comment
          The angel in this scenario would be my sneaky wife!

        • gcdmd
          gcdmd commented
          Editing a comment
          I was going to question whether he would even make the three month mark. I'm not sure I would.

        #7
        Sounds like a good project! I have a couple ounces of BT in glass with ice for the evening nightcap. First bottle of it that I have had, liking it much better than Makersmark 46. I have received both as gifts this winter. I have been guided down this enjoyable pastime by the posts here in the pit.

        Comment


        • Huskee
          Huskee commented
          Editing a comment
          I discovered Buffalo Trace here too! From good ol' smarkley.

        #8
        I keep telling myself I am going to do this... I was planning on using white unaged alcohol, but never considered recasking a branded whiskey that's already been bottled. What a hell of an idea!

        And I REALLY love the idea of pulling out a little bit, labeling it, and then having a tasting party! I'm going to do this! I am SO going to do this!!!

        Comment


        • Steve R.
          Steve R. commented
          Editing a comment
          I had been contemplating using just straight moonshine in one of these. But I think there has to be an advantage to using an actual bourbon that has been given a head start in the aging process.

        #9
        Few months back I aged some Weller (in the small barrel in my pic) and did just that. Pulled half out @ 1 month, labeled it, pulled the other half out @ 2 months. The difference was quite noticeable and both were excellent, similar yet different. Way different than the remainder of the original Weller I'd saved. It really is a fun thing to do DogFaced PonySoldier Nate

        Comment


        • Huskee
          Huskee commented
          Editing a comment
          Pirate Scott it was the Secial Reserve

        • Pirate Scott
          Pirate Scott commented
          Editing a comment
          Huskee What did you think Before and After Aging? The Special Reserve I found was 26.00.

        • Huskee
          Huskee commented
          Editing a comment
          Pirate Scott, at both 1 month and 2 months in the small 1L barrel, the WSR was INCREDIBLE! I could believe the change, whcih is why I got a bigger barrel to do more. I can't find Weller locally (other bottle was a gift from someone who visited the distillery in KY) so I'm doing Buffalo Trace now.

        #10
        I am a big Buffalo Trace fan. I am going to have to get some barrels and try this out.

        Comment


          #11
          Oh Boy! This looks like Fun. Shhhhh, don’t tell the Boss. Until she sees it on her Prime Account😂. She likes Brown Water too so I might be able to pull this off. What flavor though? I have tried so many I lose track. I can’t see doing this with an expensive Bourbon, say Blantons which I think right now is our Favorite. ( 55.00 to 60.00 around here). Trace is awesome too, 30-35.00 still though. This is gonna take some thinking. Click image for larger version

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          Comment


          • Pirate Scott
            Pirate Scott commented
            Editing a comment
            Good Morning Mr. Bones. We like the Knob Crick ( I think that’s how it’s pronounced). Not a huge fan of Jim Beam, but I have never Tried the Black Extra you speak of. I will give it a go, worst case scenario it will make a great Old Fashioned I am sure.

          • Mr. Bones
            Mr. Bones commented
            Editing a comment
            Also Not a Beam fan, here...th Extry-Aged is some Good $#¡+, Maynard
            Yup, "Crick" it is...
            I frequently make a dram of 50/50 BT/KC, which is among my faves: I calls it "Buffalo Crick"
            Please, do give that a try, the two combine to make one damfine sip o bourbon.
            Top o th Mornin right back atcha! (Sattiday, so I slept in til a luxurious 0600 )

          • Pirate Scott
            Pirate Scott commented
            Editing a comment
            Mr. Bones we have been doing some Chemistry here as well. Mostly with The Cinnamon Whiskeys, Snow Melt is a Cinnamon Whiskey Made by Dark Island Distillary in The Thousand Islands. It has some Chili Peppers infused in it as well. For an added Heat/ Flavor Profile. We Mix Hard North Whiskey And Snow Melt.

          #12
          Excellent idea, thanks for posting this. BT, along with Makers, are mainstays in my cabinet.

          Comment


          • au4stree
            au4stree commented
            Editing a comment
            Mr. Bones definitely will have to try this.

          • au4stree
            au4stree commented
            Editing a comment
            Mr. Bones. Great tip, that 1/2 & 1/2 Makers trace was tasty last night. Cheers!

          • Mr. Bones
            Mr. Bones commented
            Editing a comment
            Glad ya liked it, Brother!
            It's in regular rotation, as my allotted daily nightcap dram.
            I also do same same, with BT/KC "Buffalo Crick", try yer own, it's fun.

          #13
          I wonder how this would work with a decent rye???? I loves me some rye - Sazerac is prolly my fav, I've had a bunch, the Knob Crick rye is really good, too. I've got some Whistle Pig in there, but I wouldn't want to try this on anything really expensive.

          In fact, I really like the idea of using Weller's Special Reserve. It is a decent cheap whiskey, much better than JB or JD, if you ask me. Another option might be using the Evan Williams Single Barrel, which I think is probably about the best deal in inexpensive whiskey right now at around $23 a bottle and makes the ever popular JD seem like toilet water.

          Hmmm....

          Comment


          • Mr. Bones
            Mr. Bones commented
            Editing a comment
            LOVES me some Knob Crick Rye!
            First bought it on a whim; since sip one, it went into regular rotation, here at th Firebase!
            I can only imagine how some 'barrel time' might accent it...

          #14
          Just found my new hobby! Wow, my mind is spinning. Can't wait to try this. Salute!

          Comment


          • Pirate Scott
            Pirate Scott commented
            Editing a comment
            djl Have you Tried the Black Button Products? It is Local to you.

          • djl
            djl commented
            Editing a comment
            Yes. Their stuff is quite good. The bourbon cream is a hit with anybody I have given too (I always put it in coffee). My wife said it was fantastic in root beer...
            Last edited by djl; January 13, 2019, 09:43 PM. Reason: Really bad mistake

          #15
          Huskee do you know if these barrels can be reused after you empty your "extra aged" whiskey, and if so, how many times before they are not really good anymore? I know reusing barrels is common in the industry, and using port or sherry casks or bourbon barrels to age Scotch is quite common.

          Comment


          • Huskee
            Huskee commented
            Editing a comment
            I've heard/read 3 or 4 times. But you can also age gin, vodka, honey, etc in it after that.

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