WHY A THOUSAND OAKS BARREL? Since 1999, the Thousand Oaks Barrel Co. has been the world’s leading manufacturer of small barrels for accelerated aging. Our new wood barrels are made from short cuts of 18-24 month air-dried American white oak sourced from the same stave mills as those who make full size wine and bourbon barrels. If barrel-aged cocktails are your preference, our barrels serve in the finest restaurants, bourbon bars and wineries around the world. More than 67% of all bars in the U.S. have at least one Thousand Oaks Barrel for aging and serving cocktails. Our barrels provide the same quality aging experience to the home connoisseur or spirits lover as they do for professional distillers. Taste your spirits often and document the progress as changes occur quickly. Each barrel is unique and will offer its own flavor profile. Time, temperature, altitude, spirit, and the unique flavors from the wood will all make every aging experience different. BARREL AGING IN A MINI BARREL Due to the higher surface area of a small barrel, spirits will age up to 10 times faster than in a commercial 53 gallon barrel.Small or “accelerated aging” barrels have been around for hundreds of years. In fact, George Washington sold his unaged whiskey in 2 liter oak barrels and consumers aged at home.Cure your oak aging barrel by following the instructions included in the Bootlegger's Bible booklet, then simply pour in your favorite spirit and AGE TO TASTE!Personalize your barrel with the chalk board front. (chalk Included)Identify your whiskey or cocktail type and the date it was barreled. MAKING SPIRITS & BARREL AGED COCKTAILS Like most spirits, great cocktails need time to rest and allow the fusion of flavors. First question everyone asks, “How much time?”. The answer varies. Anywhere from a few days to a few months to impart bourbon and wood flavor notes or many months for floral and deep vanilla notes. Three principle reactions occur when the cocktail enters the barrel. 1) Infusion: The cocktail picks up some of the flavors from the wood, mainly vanillin.2) Oxidation: The cocktail also oxidizes, creating some of the nutty flavors you might taste in the final cocktail.3) Extraction: The wood reacts with the acidity of the cocktail, creating the sugars that give the drink its softness and help integrate the different elements. THE BOOTLEGGER'S BIBLE Included with the barrel is a 36 page book about making & aging whiskey, scotch, rum, or bourbon in a barrel, aged cocktails, smoked cocktails and instruction on prepping, cleaning and caring for your barrel. These fascinating facts and spirit designations are sure to be a wealth of knowledge for the whiskey enthusiasts and a smash hit at parties. ABOUT US BARREL AGING BARREL AGED COCKTAILS BOOTLEGGER'S BIBLE 1L Oak Aging Barrel with Chalkboard Front 2L Oak Aging Barrel with Chalkboard Front 5L Oak Aging Barrel with Chalkboard Front 1L Bootleg Kit with Chalkboard Front 2L Bootleg Kit with Chalkboard Front Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars 445 4.0 out of 5 stars 445 4.0 out of 5 stars 445 3.3 out of 5 stars 3 3.0 out of 5 stars 1 Price $53.00$53.00 $62.35$62.35 $99.95$99.95 $84.95$84.95 $89.95$89.95 Barrel Size/Capacity 1 Liter 2 Liter 5 Liter 1 Liter 2 Liter Hand Crafted From New Wood ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Chalkboard Front ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Stand, Bung, Spigot & Chalk ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Approx. # of 2oz Drinks 15 30 75 15 30 Includes Essence No No No Yes Yes Barrel Restoration Kit No No No Yes Yes Bootlegger's Bible (36 page book) ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Dimensions 6.5" x 4.5" x 4.5" inches 7.5" x 5" x 5" inches 9.5" x 6.5" x 6.5" inches 6.5" x 4.5" x 4.5" inches 7.5" x 5" x 5" inches Barrel Interior Charred Oak Charred Oak Charred Oak Charred Oak Charred Oak INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO PREP YOUR BARREL Follow detailed instructions in the Bootlegger's Bible and start by curing the barrel with hot or boiling water. This will quickly expand the wood and stop any leaks. ADD YOUR FAVORITE SPIRIT!Rotate your barrel every other day to evenly distribute the spirits contact with the wood. AGE TO TASTE! AGE TO TASTE! - There is no specific time your spirit should be in the barrel. Taste often and when aged to taste empty in a glass bottle. This will stop the aging process and lock in the flavor profile. ESSENCE QUANTITY MAP When making a spirit with Swish Barrel Essences, follow the guide above. Use one packet of essence per 750ml of vodka or grain alcohol. ALCOHOL IS NOT INCLUDED. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THE HOOPS ARE LOOSE OR HAVE FALLEN OFF: Our barrels are handmade without the use of any nails. As the wood dries, the barrel shrinks and hoops loosen. Hooping is fitted in location but is only stabilized after the curing process when the barrel swells into place due to the expansion of the wood. Simply hand force the hoop into its proper location and slightly tap the banding’s side with a blunt item around the entire circumference of the barrel until tight. Then proceed to the curing process. I HEAR SOMETHING INSIDE THE BARREL RATTLING: It is common for the barrel to have small pieces of wood inside. Your barrel is charred internally and can cause pieces from the inside to separate from the body. THIS IS GOOD NEWS! The more charred surface contact with the spirit, the faster it will age. Simply strain the spirit before drinking. HOW DO I INSERT MY SPIGOT? Your spigot is the most delicate part of your new barrel. You will have to hand force the spigot into the hole as far as it will go. Turn the movable top piece to the side then tap in using a rubber mallet or hammer with a towel or shock absorbent material to prevent it from being “cracked”. On a side note, please remember to verify placement of your spigot during curing of the barrel. The spigot will swell and be in a permanent position after curing is complete. MY BARREL IS TAKING ON A BLACKISH COLOR: This is referred to as “leaching”. All barrels can produce a discoloration during the curing and/or aging process. As the liquid makes its way through the wood, it will push out coloration from anything in its way. This is perfectly normal and seen in all commercial barrels in the beer, wine and distilling world. WHEN I TURN MY SPIGOT, NOTHING IS COMING OUT: Physics... remove the bung when dispensing to release pressure and allow airflow. AFTER MANY MONTHS, THERE’S LITTLE (OR NO) SPIRIT: Smaller barrels age 8-10 times faster than a full sized version. Therefore, the “angels’ share” (natural evaporation) is also increased. Due to its rapid aging process most spirits are at their optimum result within 1 to 3 months. Taste periodically and when accepted best to your pallet remove the contents into a bottle with appropriate aging notes and begin your next batch. AFTER MY FIRST BATCH, CAN I SWITCH SPIRITS? Yes, you can follow the barrel food chain. Bourbon is aged in new barrels, whiskey in used bourbon barrels, scotch in whiskey barrels, rum in scotch barrels and tequila in just about any barrel. Follow the chain to inherit flavors from previous batches as desired. Barrels left without liquid will dry out! Should your barrel dry out and no longer hold liquid, fill it with boiling water until it swells. If leaking continues, and as a last resort, submerge it under water for 24 to 48 hours. This usually will allow for enough swelling to again hold liquid but will leave discoloration on the exterior of the barrel. Simply sand the barrel and should you prefer, add a food grade water based finish. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THE HOOPS ARE LOOSE OR HAVE FALLEN OFF: Our barrels are handmade without the use of any nails. As the wood dries, the barrel shrinks and hoops loosen. Hooping is fitted in location but is only stabilized after the curing process when the barrel swells into place due to the expansion of the wood. Simply hand force the hoop into its proper location and slightly tap the banding’s side with a blunt item around the entire circumference of the barrel until tight. Then proceed to the curing process. I HEAR SOMETHING INSIDE THE BARREL RATTLING: It is common for the barrel to have small pieces of wood inside. Your barrel is charred internally and can cause pieces from the inside to separate from the body. THIS IS GOOD NEWS! The more charred surface contact with the spirit, the faster it will age. Simply strain the spirit before drinking. HOW DO I INSERT MY SPIGOT? Your spigot is the most delicate part of your new barrel. You will have to hand force the spigot into the hole as far as it will go. Turn the movable top piece to the side then tap in using a rubber mallet or hammer with a towel or shock absorbent material to prevent it from being “cracked”. On a side note, please remember to verify placement of your spigot during curing of the barrel. The spigot will swell and be in a permanent position after curing is complete. MY BARREL IS TAKING ON A BLACKISH COLOR: This is referred to as “leaching”. All barrels can produce a discoloration during the curing and/or aging process. As the liquid makes its way through the wood, it will push out coloration from anything in its way. This is perfectly normal and seen in all commercial barrels in the beer, wine and distilling world. WHEN I TURN MY SPIGOT, NOTHING IS COMING OUT: Physics... remove the bung when dispensing to release pressure and allow airflow. AFTER MANY MONTHS, THERE’S LITTLE (OR NO) SPIRIT: Smaller barrels age 8-10 times faster than a full sized version. Therefore, the “angels’ share” (natural evaporation) is also increased. Due to its rapid aging process most spirits are at their optimum result within 1 to 3 months. Taste periodically and when accepted best to your pallet remove the contents into a bottle with appropriate aging notes and begin your next batch. AFTER MY FIRST BATCH, CAN I SWITCH SPIRITS? Yes, you can follow the barrel food chain. Bourbon is aged in new barrels, whiskey in used bourbon barrels, scotch in whiskey barrels, rum in scotch barrels and tequila in just about any barrel. Follow the chain to inherit flavors from previous batches as desired. Barrels left without liquid will dry out! Should your barrel dry out and no longer hold liquid, fill it with boiling water until it swells. If leaking continues, and as a last resort, submerge it under water for 24 to 48 hours. This usually will allow for enough swelling to again hold liquid but will leave discoloration on the exterior of the barrel. Simply sand the barrel and should you prefer, add a food grade water based finish.