The american white oak barrel in two lines
This is the 2 litre barrel built in Italy from American white oak, the wood whisky is matured in across the Atlantic. It arrives complete with wooden stand, tap and bung, and weighs 2.5 kilos.
Who it is for
For anyone after the aromatic profile of bourbon. American white oak is not a generic oak: it is the species that gives the sweetest and most recognisable notes of vanilla and coconut, and the one bourbon has to be matured in by law, in new barrels. On a cocktail aged at home that profile comes through strongly, and within weeks.
Two litres work as an accelerator
In a small barrel the ratio between wood surface and liquid volume is many times higher than in a barrique: extraction runs, and what takes years in a large barrel takes weeks here. That is the advantage and the risk together, because the right point is passed within a few days. With a 2 litre oak barrel you taste every two or three days and bottle when you like it, without waiting for a date set in advance.
Specifications
- Material: American white oak
- Built in: Italy
- Capacity: 2 litres
- Supplied with: wooden stand, tap, bung
- Weight: 2.5kg
Why American white oak
Because it has a particularly tight grain and a higher lactone content than European oaks: those are the compounds behind the coconut and vanilla notes you recognise in a bourbon. French oaks, used for wine and cognac, give more tannin and less sweetness, and a more austere profile. An oak barrel of this species is therefore the choice for anyone who wants a result that reads clearly from the start.
Built in Italy from American wood
It is not a contradiction, even though the two lines sit oddly together: the wood comes from the United States and the barrel is built in Italy. That is the norm in European cooperage, where American oak staves are bought in and then assembled, toasted and hooped here. What changes from maker to maker is the work itself, meaning how the wood is seasoned and how far the inside is toasted, and that counts as much as the species.
What to age, and what not to
All spirit mixes work well, from the Manhattan to the Negroni to the Boulevardier, because they contain nothing fresh and time works only on the aroma. Drinks with citrus, dairy or egg white do not go in a barrel: they ferment. A single spirit is the best way to learn how your own barrel behaves before risking a whole batch of cocktails in it.
The internal toast, which nobody declares
The staves are heated during construction, and the degree of toast changes the result as much as the species of wood does: a light toast leaves fresh wood and tannin, a medium one brings vanilla and caramel, a heavy one goes towards toast and smoke. On small barrels almost no maker states it, this one included, and it is worth asking about before ordering.
FAQ
What wood is the oak barrel made from? American white oak, built in Italy.
How long does ageing take? Weeks, not years: taste every two or three days.
Is it waxed? The supplier does not state it: if it is not, swell it with water before the first use.
What is included? Wooden stand, tap and bung.
What should not go in? Anything with citrus or fresh ingredients, because it ferments and spoils within days.
The more you buy, the less you pay: 4 pieces -5%, 6 -7%, 8 -10%, on the same item.
Dispatched from Rome, Italy. 15-day returns, free of charge. Questions before you order? Message us on WhatsApp on +39 351 929 6937.
For the comparison between woods there is the barrel guide.
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