MAKE WHISKEY AT HOME IN AN OAK BARREL Age Spirits or Cocktails Spirits aged in a small format or sometimes called an accelerated aging barrel, age 8x to 10x faster than a commercial size 55 gallon drum. Three to four weeks in a small barrel is the equivalent of 1 1/2 to 2 years of extracted flavor. Chalkboard Front Log the spirit type or signature cocktail, date barreled, and the type of blend or special enhancement on the front of the barrel. The chalk easily wipes off when starting the next batch. Chalk is included! Show Piece for the Bar Barrels make a great show piece on the bar or in the kitchen. They also make a great gift for that whiskey or bourbon connoisseur or simply a casual imbiber. Signature Cocktails Make classic signature aged cocktails such as an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, Boulevardier, and Sazerac at home. Tennessee Whiskey Dublin Single Malt Cinnamon Whiskey Ultra Peat Small Batch Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Price $89.95$89.95 $89.95$89.95 $89.95$89.95 $89.95$89.95 $89.95$89.95 Includes: Stand, Bung, Spigot, Chalk, Essence, Restoration Kit, Bootlegger's Bible Stand, Bung, Spigot, Chalk, Essence, Restoration Kit, Bootlegger's Bible Stand, Bung, Spigot, Chalk, Essence, Restoration Kit, Bootlegger's Bible Stand, Bung, Spigot, Chalk, Essence, Restoration Kit, Bootlegger's Bible Stand, Bung, Spigot, Chalk, Essence, Restoration Kit, Bootlegger's Bible Flavor Profile American corn whiskey taste, slowly filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal to get its unique taste. A special malted Irish style whiskey aged in used bourbon barrels. A fiery blend of cinnamon and rye whiskey. with a taste similar to the Fireball Cocktail. Scottish style whisky flavor coming from the burning peat smoke used to dry the barley. Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Flavor reminiscent of traditional small scale pot still bourbons from the 1800's. HOW TO USE A BOOTLEG KIT POUR ESSENCE IN THE BARREL Start by curing your barrel per the included instructions. Pour Swish Barrel Essence in the barrel. See quantity chart below. FILL THE BARREL WITH SPIRITS Top off the barrel with your favorite brand of vodka or grain alcohol (NOT INCLUDED) and gently shake the barrel to mix the contents. AGE TO TASTE! Allow the spirits to age for 1-2 weeks in the barrel, then begin tasting every couple days. There is no set time for aging so taste regularly and age to taste! POUR STRAIGHT FROM THE BARREL When aged to taste, pour straight from the barrel or if you are not ready to drink it all, then pour the spirits into a glass bottle to stop the aging. GARNISH Garnish your cocktail. Cocktails with a great presentation always look and taste better than just whiskey in a glass. Party! Preparing & Aging in a Barrel 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. BARREL AGING FAQs 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. BARREL AGING FAQs 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.