Whiskey Making Kit

Explore the world of Whiskey by making and aging three different styles of Whiskey: Smoked, Small Batch & American Rye Whiskey in a real American White Oak barrel.

The Connoisseur Kit is a stellar gift idea for the spirit enthusiast.  Each oak barrel has its own distinct flavor profile. This is because of 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 bottles of Essence
• Paper Funnel
• Barrel Cleaning Kit
• Complete Instructions included

ESSENCES:

• Whiskey Essence
• Small Batch Essence
• American Rye Essence

SIZES:

• 1 liter barrel dimensions: 6.5" x 4.5" x 4.5"
• 2 liter barrel dimensions: 7.5" x 5" x 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