barrel programs...can I buy and age my own barrel?

[Gillman]

Click on "what's a shot glass", then on "what's a pre-pro shot glass", then go to page two of that page, and you will see a link called "rectifiers and blenders recipes". Follow that and it leads to the extract from the book. I have the complete text (I bought it from an antique book dealer) but the main parts that concern us here (his blending and mingling recipes) are all on the site.

Gary

[kbuzbee]

Ah got it... Thanks. Don't know how I missed that the first time....

That is interesting stuff...

Ken

[cowdery]

Kentucky warehouses get as hot as Kentucky gets. I'm sure that data is readily available from any number of weather sites. Warehouses typically are located on hilltops to maximize air circulation and exposure to the sun. How long? You should do what the distillers do, periodically open the barrel, withdraw some spirit, and check its progress. How often? That depends on how thirsty you are. Really, it probably depends on how much change you notice. If it seems to be aging quickly, you might want to check it more frequently. It's all part of the adventure.

[cowdery]

There shouldn't be any legal obstacles. If you buy the whiskey at retail it is your property. You can't resell it or serve it to minors, but those are the only restrictions on your use of it. There is certainly nothing to prevent you from decanting it into a wooden container.

[Gillman]

It would be a kick to see someone walk into a Gazebo with his personal keg for our delectation. The closest we've come is at KBF Gazebo just passed when I saw Randy walking with his glassy keg of Belmont 1919 bourbon. When I asked for a taste he said, "Are you kidding"?

Gary

P.S. Randy's done me some trading favours so I hesitate to ask again but Randy, you said you had an open one at home and if you can bring me two ounces next time I'll pay for 'em "pro rata", it's only fair, but I've got to try this!

P.P.S. I asked Randy what the Belmont tasted like and he said, "bourbon". A response both elliptical and insouciant, as we've come to expect from Van Blankle.

[TNbourbon]

I'm with you, Ken. I've got some of the white-doggish Isaiah Morgan young rye from West Virginia, and I might just get around to playing with this. If I can get it done before the first of the year, it'll cycle through most of a winter and summer prior to next fall's Festival.
Hmmm...

[barturtle]

He said don't bother doing it though for spirits (GNS) because it won't mature

I'm not quite sure if it's the same but the grain whisky that they cut scotch with is aged to match the age of the bottling; eg. if it says 12yo whisky then all of the whisky including grain must be that age. Also Compass Box is selling some aged grain whisky. I've had it once, not bad. It's one of those experiences, much like Potrero, not quite what you were expecting, but not bad either.

[bluesbassdad]

I would ensure the container had good aeration, if it was kept in a shed or maybe a garage with porous walls or windows periodically opened, that would help, to preclude the risk of mustiness.

Gary,

How careful should one be regarding possible airborne contaminants? Both my garage and my shed contain gasoline, dry mortar patch, paint cans, etc.

I doubt that I'll ever try this, but among those who do I'd hate for the result to be ruined by some environmental factor.

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield

[barturtle]

I'm pretty sure that I don't wanna drink anything stored in a wooden container that was stored anywhere near gasoline.

[Gillman]

True, Tim, but he meant that apart from gaining barrel (wood) flavour, aging won't improve grain spirits in the way it does straight whiskey, there are in other words no secondary constituents in the GNS to convert by long aging.

Gary