Dougdogs' Whiskey Rebarreling...

[kbuzbee]

I'm wondering if we should have a different thread for each barrel or maybe a whole re-barrelling section? Would be much easier to follow startup conditions and progress for each.

thoughts anyone?

I have a barrel of WT rye right now that I filled a few weeks back and another waiting to be filled.

Great ideas Greg, I didn't want to start a new thread on mine for the 4-6 posts it would likely have. I think keeping the traffic is this one thread isn't too bad but perhaps a new section would be the right thing to do? If it gets created, I'll post a separate one on each of mine.

I like the idea of WT rye. I thought about that for a long time before choosing Makers as my second barrel. In the end I think I just like WT Rye too much the way it is... But I'd love to try yours when it's done. Wanna trade??? I won't be at Gazebo this year or I'd bring some of each. The WT is shaping up nicely. The Makers is lagging a bit but also making great progress.

Ken

[NorCalBoozer]

maybe we need to just keep our own records. I think it's valuable information and it would be even more valuable/easier to utilize in the future if each was separate. That way we could keep track of startup conditions, changes, things added, tastings, etc. It may not be enough to have a new thread for each, in retrospect.

I'll keep records as much as I can. :cool:

It's pretty interesting stuff. I'll surely trade you some Rye for some WT. I'm using a 2 gallon toasted barrel. The temp here has been in the mid to low 60's since I filled it, so I suspect not much has changed. need to get some heat around here.

I'm still undecided on my second barrel (also a 2 gal toasted).

[wadewood]

You can get Vya vermouth in KY. I haven't seen it in Lexington, but the Cork and Bottle in Covington has some. $17.99 for 750ml.

That's a good price. I can find this in WA state, but it is only carried in 375ml bottles for about $12.

[kbuzbee]

It's pretty interesting stuff. I'll surely trade you some Rye for some WT. I'm using a 2 gallon toasted barrel. The temp here has been in the mid to low 60's since I filled it, so I suspect not much has changed. need to get some heat around here.

You California people...... :grin: I've had a heater going on the porch to keep it up to 45! We're seeing 60s now though. I was surprized how much the WT barrel had changed. I'm looking forward to seeing what the warmer days bring.

Ken

[NorCalBoozer]

hmmm I think I'll take a sample this weekend just to see whats doing in there.

I'm thinking maybe I should get a wagon and pull it down to the beach and let it roast in the sand for a bit once it heats up.:grin:

You California people...... :grin: I've had a heater going on the porch to keep it up to 45! We're seeing 60s now though. I was surprized how much the WT barrel had changed. I'm looking forward to seeing what the warmer days bring.

Ken

[NorCalBoozer]

I took the first sample of my WT Rye barrel. It was filled on 3-18 and is a 2 gallon toasted. The weather has been rainy and highs not greater than 60's since it was filled.

The sample color was very close to the original.

The flavor had a noticeable wood/char taste to it.

My guess is that since the barrel hasn't reached high enough temperatures, it hasn't been able to warm/cold cycle to get in and out of the char/wood layer. I think it's only been able to pick up the char in the barrel.

hopefully it will warm up so I can get some action, but I'm concerned that if it doesn't get heat, it might get too much of this char/wood flavor.

[kbuzbee]

I'm thinking maybe I should get a wagon and pull it down to the beach and let it roast in the sand for a bit once it heats up.:grin:

yadda yadda yadda....

[dougdog]

Barrel #1 was finally put back in glass on May 6th 2006. This was the AA whiskey that I added some Everclear to, about the beginning of April.

The whiskey is a richer deeper color with a richer and deeper nose, palate and finish.

I would consider the experiment a success by all measures and most of all a great learning experience. I think the total time in the barrel was a bit over 4 months.

There has been a great deal of help on this project from others here on the forum, Thanks go out to all those who have contributed in any way!

Future plans for the empty barrel are now forming...any suggestions?

Please post your thoughts and comments....

Thanks!

[Gillman]

And thanks to you Doug for the samples of same (and the others) at Sampler. I found the before and after versions each had their merits. I liked the effect the Everclear had on the barreled version. I found a light "resin" scent in both the pre-rebarreled and reballed versions. At first I thought the rebarreling imparted it but that can't be because the non-rebarreled has it too. It must be a characteristic of Ancient Age whiskey but somehow it seemed intensified in the rebarreling. As for reuse, you have many options!

Gary

[kbuzbee]

Well, after much agonizing, I finally decided to dump both barrels yesterday. They went much longer than I'd originally intended. I suspect partly this was due to the relatively constant temperatures on the porch. I've been sampling them right along and was kinda getting worried they would go "too far". Pick up too much barrel and hide the nature of the underlying spirit.

The barrels suffered a lot of "shrinkage". They leaked a bit (the wife was NOT happy about that!) I'd say maybe .5 litre, and 6 x 2 oz samples the rest had to be evaporation.... 21 litres in was slightly over 12 litres out! That was the Wild Turkey barrel. The Maker's barrel was smaller but the ratio was about the same. I was pretty amazed. No wonder the porch always smelled like Bourbon (again, the wife was NOT happy about that!). Anyone who thinks aging their own is a good way to save money while moving to a higher end product should do the math....... Oh well. It was a fun experiment.

So last night I poured a couple ounces of each. Nosed them for a while. You definately get more wood & char in the nose than in their origional expressions. Not clobbering but more and I liked it. Lingered there for a while. Then sipped the WT. Sweet like WT tends to be but without most of the edge it usually has. Now I don't mind that edge but this was nice. A bit more refined than WT tends to be, I suppose. Like the nose, there is more wood and char than regular 101 but it is at a nice level I really enjoyed. Can't say how it compares to the better WT products. I'm going to do a vertical and see how it fares.

The Maker's was next and, not too surprizingly I would say most of the same things about it. Following the WT it took my tastebuds a few sips to move the rye out and move the wheat in, but I got there. It was a wonderful deep version of Makers. Much like what I'd always thought Maker's should taste like.

This experiment was interesting. I wasn't at all sure what to expect. My hope was to get a deeper version of what I'd started with. My fear was the additional aging would cover up everything except the additional aging. What I found with each was the same general trending (of additional oak and char) but I was happy to see that each spirit had retained it's basic nature. That had been enhanced, deepened and somewhat smoothed out but each was clearly the product of it's origions.

Ken

[dougdog]

Very cool Ken!

I was not sure what had become of your barrel project. The deeper/smoother notes of which you have spoken are just the thing I was looking for in my own projects, I'm happy that yours turned out well...

I too, would mention that this is not a cost saving venture, but it makes for some good tasting whiskey and as you mentioned it is interesting.

My original offer to trade samples still stands...PM and we can work out the details if interested.

Any plans on what to do with your barrels next? (Mine are sitting mostly empty untill the next thought process emerges...I do keep them "wet" inside with Bourbon or rum respectively while in storage so there is some maintainance due to evaporation.)

Almost forgot...for how long was the whiskey re-barreled?

[Jake_Parrott]

Is it not about time to start rebarreling blended Scotch in some of these? I'd like to see what'd happen to J&B or Dewars.

[Gillman]

Yes, but add some extra malts to them.

Gary

[Jake_Parrott]

I don't want to commit these guys to too dear an investment .

[kbuzbee]

My original offer to trade samples still stands...PM and we can work out the details if interested.

Absolutely.

Any plans on what to do with your barrels next?

No, wife's so happy to have her porch back it'll be a while. I wasn't sure how to store them. Right now they are as yours.

Almost forgot...for how long was the whiskey re-barreled?

It was almost a year. They went in mid-late January 06 (WT went in first). As I mentioned, this was longer than I'd initially thought to leave them. I expected they would reach a point I was looking for around 6mo but such was not the case.

Ken

[kbuzbee]

Well, Doug's samples arrived today....

First - Doug's Blend Barrel #2 -

Sight - very leggy - Nice! Med dark amber.

Nose - Wonderful nose - very bright - almost floral

Palate - Sweet and smooth, still with the floral notes, a touch of burn (a desirable burn - IMO) with touches of pecan.... interesting

Finish - Med. Continuation of the palate that diminishes in 20-30sec leaving a slight alcohol taste behind. Interesting as the overall experience was a bit "older" but it finished kinda young.

Second - Ancient Age Barrel #1

Sight - Med amber - slightly leggy

Nose - Sweet, notes of oak, corn and a slight touch of spice

Palate - Sweet and smooth, very oaky (not smokey but oak wood) and a touch "sappy" and a bit of maple flavor

Finish - Short and smooth. No alcohol taste, with final notes of Maple.

Thanks Doug! Nicely done.

What a treat.

Ken