Make your own Bourbon with The Barrel Connoisseur® Bourbon Making Kit
Making great bourbon is as much an art as it is a science. The people who make top-shelf liquor are undeniably talented, and it takes a lot of practice and training to turn corn mash or barley scraps into a delicious adult beverage. But that doesn’t mean the average person can’t dream up their own custom blend. This Personalized Bourbon Making Kit with Barrel makes it possible for almost anyone (who's legally allowed, of course) to become an amateur distiller.
This kit includes everything necessary to make, age, and serve delicious spirits. The use of oak wood imparts a distinct, deep flavor, while charring the barrel infuses even more character. Choose from four different sizes and you’ll also get a full range of accessories including a wrought iron stand, a paper funnel, three types of essence, and a how-to guide. You can even personalized the front so everyone knows who this batch of booze belongs to!
When you surprise someone with this bourbon-making kit, you’re giving a gift that keeps on giving. Once the liquor is aged to taste, the newly crowned bourbon master can enjoy sip after sip — and if you’re lucky, you’ll score an invite and a few shots too.
The Barrel Connoisseur® Kit includes everything you need to make your finest blend of spirits, aged to perfection and is the perfect gift idea.
The Connoisseur Kit is a stellar gift for the spirit enthusiast. Each oak barrel has its own distinct flavor profile. This is due to slight variations in each oak tree used to make the staves, the individuality of the charring process, weather and climate fluctuations, the size (and therefore surface area) of the barrel, etc. The 3 exquisite flavors of essences included in the kit allow you to sample a broad spectrum of taste and character with your own personal spirit blend.
KIT INCLUDES:
- 1, 2, 3 or 5 liter American White Oak Barrel
- Premium Wrought Iron Stand
- Bung and Spigot
- 3 styles of essence
- Paper Funnel
- Barrel Cleaning Kit
- Guide to Barrel Aged Spirits Booklet
ESSENCES:
- Honey Bourbon
- Winter Wheat
- Kentucky Bourbon
SIZES:
- 1 liter barrel dimensions: 6.5" x 4.5" x 4.5"
- 2 liter barrel dimensions: 7.5" x 5" x 5"
- 3 liter barrel dimensions: 8.5" x 5.5" x 5.5"
- 5 liter barrel dimensions: 9.5" x 6.5" x 6.5"
HOW IT WORKS
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by curing your barrel (instructions below)
- Pour most of a 750ml bottle of 40% alc./vol. grain alcohol, neutral vodka or swish alcohol into the barrel
- Add 1 bottle of your desired Essence per liter of alcohol and fill the barrel with the remaining alcohol
- SHAKE WELL to mix thoroughly
- It's best when aged for 2 or more weeks, but if you can't wait... DRINK NOW!
- Clean barrels with cleaning kit (included) after 2-3 uses
CURE YOUR BARREL
- Tightly insert the spigot using a mallet or place a sloth over the spigot and gently hammer it in
- Fill with hot water and insert the bung
- Allow 3 to 5 days for the barrel to completely seal
- Once cured, fill the barrel with your favorite spirit and place the bung in to remove any air
- Do not submerge your barrel in water!
AGING SPIRITS
- Due to the higher surface area of the 1 liter barrel, spirits will age 8x to 10x faster than the standard 52 gallon barrel
- Turn the barrel a quarter turn weekly to redistribute the liquid contact with the charred oak
- Age to taste!
- Drink from the barrel or pour into a glass container to stop the aging
STORING BETWEEN USES
- Dissolve storing tablets (included) in a glass of water
- Pour into the barrel and top off with water
Every barrel will develop it’s own individual flavor profile. This is due to the individuality of each tree, each stave, the amount of charring, climate, season, size of barrel, etc… No two barrels will be alike. Monitor your barrel’s performance for future batches, but know that each batch will take a bit longer than the previous
