Roll Out the Barrels!
April 6, 2011 1:24 AM Subscribe
I would like to import a small barrel of bourbon for my husband's birthday. I am in Australia, happy to pay freight, excise and associated taxes but I need to find the bourbon first. Help?
First, find the bourbon!
Googling brings up plenty of results about types of barrels used in bourbon manufacture, flavour from barrel maturation and oodles about small batch bourbons but I can't find a damn thing about makers who are willing to sell their bourbon in anything larger than a bottle. Is it even possible to buy it in a barrel???
Can anyone suggest a maker that might be able to help me? Obviously I'd prefer to find something select, not normally found in Australia and, of course, good. Backwater (known in our house as "Backwash") Bourbon, for example, isn't going to cut it.
Import-wise, I'm checking directly with Australian Customs and it seems to be do-able, if expensive, so that's not my immediate worry.
Does the Hive Mind have any suggestions??
First, find the bourbon!
Googling brings up plenty of results about types of barrels used in bourbon manufacture, flavour from barrel maturation and oodles about small batch bourbons but I can't find a damn thing about makers who are willing to sell their bourbon in anything larger than a bottle. Is it even possible to buy it in a barrel???
Can anyone suggest a maker that might be able to help me? Obviously I'd prefer to find something select, not normally found in Australia and, of course, good. Backwater (known in our house as "Backwash") Bourbon, for example, isn't going to cut it.
Import-wise, I'm checking directly with Australian Customs and it seems to be do-able, if expensive, so that's not my immediate worry.
Does the Hive Mind have any suggestions??
Have you heard about the Maker's Mark Ambassador program? If you're interested in the gift that keeps on giving, it may be worth exploring as an alternative to simply buying a barrel.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 1:55 AM on April 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by malibustacey9999 at 1:55 AM on April 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a list of good bourbon distilleries. I've visited Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace, both are excellent. Woodford Reserve is more expensive, but Buffalo Trace is a great value. Both are also smaller operations (esp Buffalo Trace) than Maker's Mark or Jim Beam, so you might (?) have better luck calling and speaking to a real person in charge of distribution.
If it isn't possible to buy bourbon in a barrel, it likely has to do with the production process. Each barrel of bourbon ages in a unique way, and the alcohol concentration of each barrel can be different (and often very high) when it is ready for drinking. The contents of each barrel are almost always diluted prior to bottling. If you did succeed in finding a distillery that would ship you an entire barrel, it might be the case that your husband would need to somehow manage the dilution process himself before drinking.
posted by JumpW at 2:26 AM on April 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
If it isn't possible to buy bourbon in a barrel, it likely has to do with the production process. Each barrel of bourbon ages in a unique way, and the alcohol concentration of each barrel can be different (and often very high) when it is ready for drinking. The contents of each barrel are almost always diluted prior to bottling. If you did succeed in finding a distillery that would ship you an entire barrel, it might be the case that your husband would need to somehow manage the dilution process himself before drinking.
posted by JumpW at 2:26 AM on April 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't think you'll have much luck buying a full "small" barrel because I don't really think small barrels are used in bourbon production. A cursory google suggests they're about 53 gallons - or 241 litres. That's a lot of bourbon!
I think even the small batches use pretty hefty barrels, but that's just a hunch and I'd happily be proven wrong.
But I've heard that some distilleries will bottle whole barrels especially for you. How about something like this? Of course, that would involve a trip to Kentucky - but what a gift for a bourbon fan!
I'm battling a bourbon (and gin, and scotch) hangover right now. Bourbon!
posted by Ted Maul at 3:02 AM on April 6, 2011
I think even the small batches use pretty hefty barrels, but that's just a hunch and I'd happily be proven wrong.
But I've heard that some distilleries will bottle whole barrels especially for you. How about something like this? Of course, that would involve a trip to Kentucky - but what a gift for a bourbon fan!
I'm battling a bourbon (and gin, and scotch) hangover right now. Bourbon!
posted by Ted Maul at 3:02 AM on April 6, 2011
A "small" barrel is still going to be dozens of gallons if it's used in any kind of production process. Even so-called "small batch" bourbons are produced in significant quantities, tens of thousands of cases at the minimum, at least for those you've got an even halfway-decent shot at finding in a liquor store.
Three-gallon barrels are little more than novelty packaging. The whiskey will have been produced and aged just like the rest of the batch, but instead of a bottle you get a little barrel.
That being said, here's a good discussion of the process of buying a barrel from Tuthilltown, with some links to places you can buy quarter-casks of scotch. It seems that there's a lot bigger market for this sort of thing in scotch rather than bourbon, which isn't terribly surprising given their respective reputations.
posted by valkyryn at 5:50 AM on April 6, 2011
Three-gallon barrels are little more than novelty packaging. The whiskey will have been produced and aged just like the rest of the batch, but instead of a bottle you get a little barrel.
That being said, here's a good discussion of the process of buying a barrel from Tuthilltown, with some links to places you can buy quarter-casks of scotch. It seems that there's a lot bigger market for this sort of thing in scotch rather than bourbon, which isn't terribly surprising given their respective reputations.
posted by valkyryn at 5:50 AM on April 6, 2011
Also, check out Quarter Casks, which will let you buy a cask of just about any scotch you can think of. The catch is that the casks range in size from 70 to 600 bottles.
That's a lot of scotch.
posted by valkyryn at 5:53 AM on April 6, 2011
That's a lot of scotch.
posted by valkyryn at 5:53 AM on April 6, 2011
Oh, one final thing: it's highly unlikely that you're going to be able to get your hands on an actual cask used in the production process. Those things are re-used and re-sold extensively, so the distilleries don't tend to like to let go of 'em. For example, Quarter Casks, linked above, will let you buy an octave, quarter, barrel, whatever, but they bottle it for you and ship you the bottles.
posted by valkyryn at 5:59 AM on April 6, 2011
posted by valkyryn at 5:59 AM on April 6, 2011
This depends on what you mean by 'small' barrel. Jack Daniels will sell you a single barrel (about 250 bottles) of their whiskey (while not strictly a 'bourbon', the process is essentially the same.) True bourbon only comes from the US and, because the definition of a bourbon is based on its creation standards, I'd think it's unlikely that you'd find a single barrel of actual 'bourbon' because it seems the term itself implies a standard mixture / taste / etc., which you can't obtain from a single barrel.
If you buy a barrel of Jack Daniels whiskey, they will pull a single barrel based on your taste preference - you can schedule a visit to the distillery to sample, or their distillers can select for you. They will bottle it, label the bottles with the information about the cask, and send you all the bottles from it, and you also get the barrel itself. They'll even add a plaque to their bottling plant wall with your name on it.
When I was there at the distillery a couple years ago, I remember them saying this would run you about $10k (US). From the website link above, that seems about right, but that's also based on the 'retail price in my area', so your cost may be more being in AU.
If that's not in your budget, they also have a store that sells various items (tables, cribbage boards, shelves) made from old casks. I believe you can also buy a whole cask (sans whiskey).
posted by SquidLips at 10:03 AM on April 6, 2011
If you buy a barrel of Jack Daniels whiskey, they will pull a single barrel based on your taste preference - you can schedule a visit to the distillery to sample, or their distillers can select for you. They will bottle it, label the bottles with the information about the cask, and send you all the bottles from it, and you also get the barrel itself. They'll even add a plaque to their bottling plant wall with your name on it.
When I was there at the distillery a couple years ago, I remember them saying this would run you about $10k (US). From the website link above, that seems about right, but that's also based on the 'retail price in my area', so your cost may be more being in AU.
If that's not in your budget, they also have a store that sells various items (tables, cribbage boards, shelves) made from old casks. I believe you can also buy a whole cask (sans whiskey).
posted by SquidLips at 10:03 AM on April 6, 2011
The Tuthilltown distillery used to sell mini-casks of their whiskeys, but I cannot find any mention on their site now (though the Store link is not working.)
Probably worth a call to them:
http://tuthilltown.com/home
posted by OctopusHat Jack at 10:27 AM on April 6, 2011
Probably worth a call to them:
http://tuthilltown.com/home
posted by OctopusHat Jack at 10:27 AM on April 6, 2011
Best answer: Finger Lakes Distillery sells a very small barrel along with 1.5L of unaged whiskey for $90 USD. Fun, because you can age the barrel yourself tasting it as it ages. I recommend the rye.
posted by Vhanudux at 1:44 PM on April 6, 2011
posted by Vhanudux at 1:44 PM on April 6, 2011
Response by poster: Mini casks and so forth are just what I want - despite my husbands protests, a quarter cask is going to be way more booze than he needs. I'm aware that teeny tiny casks are more stunt than serious, but that's fine with me. It's a birthday gift, and what my husband does with bourbon and scotch would make any connoisseur gnash their teeth and wail.
Vhanudux, the Age-Your-Own kits sound about perfect and I've emailed them for more info.
posted by ninazer0 at 6:29 PM on April 14, 2011
Vhanudux, the Age-Your-Own kits sound about perfect and I've emailed them for more info.
posted by ninazer0 at 6:29 PM on April 14, 2011
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Best! Good luck in the hunt.
posted by alexandermatheson at 1:31 AM on April 6, 2011