Whiskey is being enjoyed by the world for centuries now and it comes in many different forms, flavors, and cultural significance. There are varieties from Ireland, Scotland, America, and recently, even Japan, China, and Korea are joining to offer their own blend of whiskey as well.
Each distillery and company has its own unique way of blending, brewing, and aging their amber offerings. Some are single malt, which makes use of only one type of grain. The vast majority are blended, which uses many types of grain.
Other than objective evaluations in flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel, many brands also lean heavily on their histories and traditions. This is why certain companies are known for their 18- to 25-year-old whiskey while others only go for five.
In all of these cases, whiskey barrels are used in one form or another. At home, you can actually use your own personal wooden dispenser, if you want. That’s what the five whiskey barrels listed here are for. So be sure to check them out!
Best Whiskey Barrels Comparison & Rating
Image | Whiskey Barrels | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 95% | |
| 93% | |
| 90% | |
| 87% | |
| 87% |
Want to Learn More?
Before you decide which whiskey barrel to buy, you might want to find out more about the best options available. This is to make sure that you will absolutely enjoy the whiskey barrel that you would get for your kitchen. Also, be sure to click the yellow buttons below to see their best deals on Amazon! With that, here are five of the best options that we rounded up especially for you.
AIMEE-JL Whiskey Barrel Dispenser
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 7.87 x 6.3 x 6.3 inches |
Material | Oak |
Color | Chocolate |
Weight | 2.42 pounds |
This is quite the impressive whiskey barrel to have at home. Not only does it look beautiful, but it can also easily hold a lot of liquid. You can use it for whiskey, wine, ginger beer, root beer, and even butterbeer. The wood is guaranteed to retain the flavor while still allowing the contents to breathe. The temperature is perfectly preserved, as well, so there’s no need to worry about spoilage.
REFINERY AND CO Miniature Wood Whiskey Barrel Dispenser
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 9 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches |
Material | Wood |
Color | Brown |
Weight | 1.35 pounds |
This is a great way to wow any guests who come to visit your home. Serving them whiskey right from the dispenser is guaranteed to bring out expressions of interest. The barrel itself is durable and can withstand light scratches or dents. It can also allow you to mix and match cocktails inside as you want. In fact, you can even use this to serve beer, if you prefer.
Red Head Barrels Charred American White Oak Aging Barrel
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 7.2 x 7.17 x 6.06 inches |
Material | Oak |
Color | Whiskey Distillery |
Weight | 2.26 pounds |
Aging whiskey in this barrel is an absolute joy. It has all of the required characteristics of an aging barrel, so the results are always great. You can even use this to age wine that you would then flavor to your heart’s contents. Once that’s done, you can just pour the liquid directly into a wine glass for a unique experience. This barrel is perfect for garden parties or barbecues!
Personalized American Oak Whiskey Aging Barrel
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 7.5 x 5 x 5 inches |
Material | Oak |
Color | Natural Oak |
Weight | 4.4 pounds |
Anyone who loves mixing drinks and aging them will love this barrel. It’s tight and does not come with any flaws that might cause leaks. The wood still allows some breathing, which allows the flavors to blend perfectly. The instructions are quite easy to follow, which would then prevent issues in the future. You can use this barrel for whiskey, wine, brandy, rum, ginger beer, and more.
Sofia's Findings Customized American White Oak Aging Barrel
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimensions | 7.15 x 5 inches |
Material | Oak |
Color | Black Hoops |
Weight | 4.4 pounds |
As aging barrels go, this is one of the most secure. It doesn’t leak and with the right precautions, it never will. This lets you mix any kind of spirit with any kind of ingredients for aging. You can keep it in the kitchen or in the cellar if you have one too. Preparing the barrel itself is a crucial step, but is simple enough to follow.
Whiskey Barrel Buyer's Guide
Since barrels are made of several pieces of wood that are held together by metal rings, one of the biggest sources of concern is leaks. This is why you need to make sure that the barrel that you get will not constantly drip with water. This goes for the spaces between the wood strips and the spigot.
The type and quality of the wood that is used to make the barrel will have a huge impact on how good the results are going to be. It will affect how it will taste, how it will smell, and what the feeling inside your mouth is going to be. Of course, it will also impact durability and longevity.
Aging barrels can come in multiple different capacities from the really small to the really big. Smaller ones can hold up to 700mL while the biggest ones can hold 10 liters or more. If you are going to be using the barrels as dispensers during parties and such, though, sticking with the one to two liters should be enough.
It’s important to look into how a barrel was constructed in order to determine how reliable it is going to be. Were the wooden parts glued before they were pressed by the rings? Do the rings do more than just be decorative features? Is the spigot screwed into the opening or is it hammered into it?
The barrel needs to be cleaned both before and after the aging process. This will ensure that there won’t be any residues that could then affect the taste, flavor, and texture of the next batch you serve. As such, the barrel should make this process easy.
FAQs
An aging barrel is meant to infuse flavor, maturity, and aroma into whatever contents it has. It gives the chemicals inside to oxidize and develop the characteristics expected of the beverage. In the case of whiskey, what usually comes out is the brown or amber color, along with the smokey scent, and strong taste.
The first reason is that you can drink it directly from its source, which provides you with a more authentic and unvarnished experience. The taste, mouthfeel, and aroma are simply too different compared to drinking the whiskey out of a bottle. The other reasons involve the presentation, the amount of whiskey you can drink, and the fact that it can be decorative.
In the past, wood was used simply because it was the best option for storing, transporting, and aging alcohol and nonalcoholic beverages. In time, though, it was discovered that wood can impart many of its qualities into the contents. This is especially the case when the interior is charred first so as to bring out that smokey flavor and aroma.
Many materials can be and are being used to dispense whiskey aside from wood. There is glass, stainless steel, stone, various precious metals, and even clay. The problem is that a lot of them are too chemically reactive to serve as aging containers. The exception is glass, but it is vulnerable to shattering and doesn’t really fit the image of the whole aging concept.