If you had a 5 liter charred barrel . . .

[Quantum]

The most successful barrel projects I have tasted have used worn out barrels with a wide range of bourbons mixed together. Essentially the barrel just helps everything mingle together and pick up some sweet notes while allowing for slight oxidation.

[GaryT]

46 days in the oak, and been taking small sample tastes every weekend. Still tastes fairly young, but I'm starting to see some improvement - a bit more wood flavor, and things just "getting along" better. Sorta wishing I had made a 2oz sample of the whole mixture BEFORE going into the barrel, just to compare it periodically to that. Also been measuring the fill level of the barrel from the top of the bung hole, and not much loss (it was initially filled nearly to the top, and in the first week the barrel soaked up some - but since that the level has only dropped a half-inch or so). Had to move off the porch as the cold came to Georgia early, so I've been wiping the barrel down with a wet cloth every so often to try to avoid it drying out and losing more. Seems to be working, so I'll keep at it.

[GaryT]

Several updates since my last post - sorry about that!

On 2/15/2015 I dumped the first barrel. I kept a dishrag over it (just laying over the top, not wrapped completely around), and poured a little water on it every few days in the hopes of minimizing the evaporation loss over the winter while it was in the basement. I think that worked to some degree, although I wound up topping it off a few times, adding some Noah's Mill, Fighting Cock, and Ezra Brooks 7yr 101. When dumped, it was right around 107 proof, and had been in the barrel for 138 days.

I was pretty happy with the results! Like most experiments, you hope for the best but prepare for the worst - so I was expecting this would be suitable for whiskey sours at best. But I took a bottle to a friend's house to get some feedback, and he liked it as well. I also took a bottle to the April Sampler in B'town, but only had it on the table one night as I wound up sick for most of the weekend. I think it is a fairly well balanced "bou-rye", and I enjoy it neat (but am also using it for soaking raisins/nuts for other baking purposes).

I refilled the now "used" barrel with contents I intend to let age longer (already 167 days today), and this isn't what I could call a "bou-rye" since it includes some corn whiskey as well. I still had some fairly young MGP bourbon, and a locally produced 151 proof corn whiskey (I think they pass it through a barrel so it isn't legally "white dog", but practically it is). I also threw in some of the following:

Buffalo Trace (low fill bottle)

EWSB

Ezra B 12 yr Single Barrel (to add "some" age)

FRSB

Johnny Drum Private Stock

OGD 86 (semi-dusty; ND UPC from 1993, so some ND whiskey in the mix I think - with a handle I figured I could use some here without losing sleep!)

Ritt BIB

WFE 11yr

RR SmBSB

AAA 10yr (not 10* - I save the good stuff )

WT Old #8

1792

I also moved the barrel back out to the porch in March, where the humidity outdoors is keeping it sealed. Still lost a fair amount in the first little couple of months, so I've been topping it off, although I haven't kept notes on what has all gone into that.

At Christmas, I got a 1 liter barrel (although didn't get it home until April; couldn't fit it in the suitcase!) I decided to fill it from the 5L barrel, and then top that off with whatever was low fill at the time. The smaller barrel (being new, and smaller) imparts a lot more quickly, so every other weekend (approximately) I've been cycling the whiskey between the two. I dump the 1L into a bowl, re-fill it from the 5L barrel, then dump the bowl into the 5L. That seems to be working in terms of not letting it get over-oaked. Before cycling, I pour 1/2 oz from each, and the 1L is always better - but I'm nervous about letting it sit there for too long. I'm encouraged by the results of the first barrel fill, but not expecting the results of this to be as good - since the initial components weren't as good. Most importantly, it has been a lot of fun!

[Richnimrod]

Well, if you're having fun, then your certainly doing something right.

...And, that first offering you brought down to the Sampler was very good (to my taste buddies, anyway). Keep on keeping on. That's my advice.

Will you bring a sample or two down to the KBF?

[amg]

Just out of curiosity, how did you determine the proof after dumping it?

[Paddy]

Wow, that's one busy barrel! Fun is what it's all about, and it's good to hear that you are enjoying the experimentation. Thanks for the update, and keep them coming if you don't mind... P

[GaryT]

Just out of curiosity, how did you determine the proof after dumping it?

I had initially kept up the proportions of what went in to try to estimate, but I finally broke down and bought a Proof & Tralle Hydrometer. It could be off by 1% either way, but fairly close to 107. I haven't measured the current stuff yet, but I'll do the same when I dump it.

[GaryT]

Quick update - tonight I tasted a sample from the 1 Liter barrel, and it definitely felt to me like it was crossing the line of "too much wood". Its 5 Liter older brother still comes across too young, but I decided to dump what I could of the 1 Liter into the 5 Liter, and set the rest aside (which I'll gradually add to the 5 Liter to replace the Angel's Share). I had some family (mom, sister and niece) come by two weeks ago, which is when I last dumped the 1L, refilled from the 5L, and refilled the 5L with the 1L's prior contents. My mom insisted on getting a pick of me with my barrels on the back porch, so thought I'd share. Only the 5L now remains, and having been dumped once (and had contents taken out to fill the other, refilled, etc) is having less of an impact - which I think is a GOOD thing. My hope is that I can let the contents go for several more months - maybe into next year - without them getting too woody. I don't expect the wood to specifically improve the contents much, but I think part of the magic is just time and slooooow evaporation. And if it don't get any better, some of the contents will go into the new barrel I have sitting in the closet

[GAbiker]

Gary, it's almost like you're doing a kinda Solera aging thingy...well sorta kinda. Only completely different!

[fozzy71]

That looks like fun. I might have to order a 3 or 5 liter barrel for some mingles.

[GaryT]

It is kinda/sorta like a Solera approach, except it isn't Just back/forth. I'm drying out the 1L barrel, as I may use it again like this. Or I may do the same thing with the new 5L barrel I have in the closet, and this now used 5L (although I'm not sure I want to have 10L going at once). But it has been fun! I'd be lying if I said I don't enjoy stepping out onto the back porch and catching a whiff of that Angel's Share first thing in the morning

[VAGentleman]

Cool stuff! I've put some of my own white dog in a 2 liter barrel and got stuff that was kind of bourbonish. Never thought to try to age some existing bourbons more. May have to give it a try. Thanks for the notes and the inspiration

[Harry in WashDC]

Thanks, Gary. I've enjoyed following your progress. I, too, might try this with some of my "less favorite" shelf-hogs. So far, I've just vatted by pouring them into one bottle after another with no real change.

[TheSkinFlautist]

This experiment is one I am confident we have all put at least some thought into be it while daydreaming of whiskey at work, having sex with the wife, or any other activity which could be made more interesting with the adition of barrels of booze. My own thoughts are of using Dremarara rum to strip the fresh char intensity then refilling with something wheated which I believe will be more forgiving than rye; perhaps something antique, around 107°, and that could use another ~5 years in the barrel.

ALSO: So long as I'm reviving this thread, let's talk about something kinda-sorta on the same wavelength of modifying bottled whiskey; Has anyone experimented with re-distilling bottled spirits? I have been toying with putting together a pyrex distilling aparatus to distill OWA and/or W12 with the intention of seperating the alcohol then reducing the water to whatever volume my calculations determine will produce a 120° solution when added to the distilate. If either bourbon is filtered prior to bottling this would likely be an exercise in futility but I do not believe that to be the case. If anyone knows differently or has any information and experience to add, please do!

[squire]

I wouldn't attempt to distill anything because it's illegal so to do, that and barrel proof whisky being already available.

[GaryT]

I'd never thought of re-distilling something like that (thought about "hobby distilling" briefly before realizing the amount of work/equipment/time/risk that would go into it far outweighed my perceived enjoyment).

Update on the current barrel - it is approaching the threshold of being not exactly too woody, but just too sharp while still having a lot of youth. I've decided that I won't add more to it at this point, and will give in a few more weeks. My expectations are that it isn't likely to improve, in which case I may just bottle what I have and cut my losses. If I dumped today, it isn't undrinkable - but not something I'd particularly enjoy neat (although it would do well enough for steeping raisins for cookies, etc). And it could be blended into some future experiments possibly. This one had a much higher proportion of corn whiskey/young bourbon compared to the first batch.

Going to wait until spring (after the "pine pollen attack" we here in Georgia have to withstand is finally over!) before starting the new barrel.

[oke&coke]

This experiment is one I am confident we have all put at least some thought into be it while daydreaming of whiskey at work, having sex with the wife, or any other activity which could be made more interesting with the adition of barrels of booze. My own thoughts are of using Dremarara rum to strip the fresh char intensity then refilling with something wheated which I believe will be more forgiving than rye; perhaps something antique, around 107°, and that could use another ~5 years in the barrel.

ALSO: So long as I'm reviving this thread, let's talk about something kinda-sorta on the same wavelength of modifying bottled whiskey; Has anyone experimented with re-distilling bottled spirits? I have been toying with putting together a pyrex distilling aparatus to distill OWA and/or W12 with the intention of seperating the alcohol then reducing the water to whatever volume my calculations determine will produce a 120° solution when added to the distilate. If either bourbon is filtered prior to bottling this would likely be an exercise in futility but I do not believe that to be the case. If anyone knows differently or has any information and experience to add, please do!

The problem I have heard, but I could be wrong, with redistilling an aged product is that some of the barrels influence does get carried over and concentrated. And not in a good way. Best to stick with new make.

[GaryT]

As it continued to approach (maybe hit) "too woody", I went ahead and dumped it. The resulting whiskey isn't something I'd enjoy neat, but I think it will do perfectly fine for steeping raisins, etc. I also am going to use some of the bottles for other experiments. When I described what I didn't like about it to my wife (bit too harsh/tannic, but young tasting - lacks the deep sweetness of a proper bourbon), she said 'Just add sugar, right?' I laughed, and while I'm not doing that, I am going to play with some infusions to bring more character to it (like vanilla bean, maybe some cacao nibs, a cinnamon stick, etc). My goal is to get it to where I would enjoy more of it neat (or in a cocktail), as it would take probably 20 years to use it strictly for cookies/bourbon balls! I won't try to present it to anyone as a bour-rye (as I do consider the first batch to be, as it only contained straight bourbon/straight rye) and will disclose to anyone what is in it. If it tastes good, who cares, right?

[RandyG]

I would put the new Rare Breed in it. I like the bourbon (loved the 108) but it tastes a little too young.