Sofia's Findings 2 Liters American Oak Aging Whiskey Barrel | Age Your own Tequila, Whiskey, Rum, Bourbon, Wine - 2 Liter or .53 Gallons

Bought this to age some spirits in. How it looked externally was not as important to me as it being leakproof. Set arrived and was missing the stand. I reached out to the vendor who was very apologetic and shipped out a stand that arrived just today.This was fine as you don't just get it and fill it with your product right away. You have prep this for first use. This process takes about 4 days to a week. This is something that you don't want to rush. The steps to prep are included and simple to follow. I started right way. Finally filled it today with my product and it is absolutely leak proof. By the way, it looks great as well and is solidly built. This thing is heavy when full!One final note. This thing is deceptive. I got the 20L, and it does not look all that big, but man....I just kept pouring and pouring. Just looking at it you would not feel like it could hold all that.If I ever needed another, I would not hesitate to buy again.

This is my second barrel. First did such a great job, that I wanted another to experiment with different flavors. For the first barrel, after following the prep instructions carefully, I combined 1.75L of Kirkland American vodka and a 1/4 cup of maple syrup. After six months of aging, I had an incredibly good tasting after dinner drink. The maple syrup gave just a hint of sweetness and the oak imparted a smokey, oakey flavor that was amazing. The one downside was that the "angel's share" was at least 500ml absorbed into the wood or evaporated (yes, the barrel was absolutely tightly sealed - no leaks!). I have another round aging now, but with more vodka (filled to the top - about 2.75L) and a tad more maple syrup.I bought the second barrel and prep took a bit longer. I'd say it needed to soak a good four days (water changed each day) and two rounds of hot water internal soak to seal up the small seepage around the oak seams. Even then, I used a bit of candle wax (melted over the barrel) to seal up the back end of the barrel a bit more. Then I added Kirkland American vodka to the top (2.75L) and a half cup of honey this time. Barrel is now aging the liquid nicely with zero leaks. Can't wait to see how this one turns out!I will admit the barrels are a bit pricey, but this has been a fun experiment. Moreover, the vendor is absolutely first rate and responded quickly after I ordered and sent a request for unfinished barrels (normally, the outside is varnished). Also, the leakage from prep does wear on the paint of the metal rings. On the second barrel, the paint came off at the bottom and show the start of a bit of rust. I wiped that off and if need be, I'll repaint or treat the hoops with a rust treatment - none of which is surprising to me nor a big deal. In fact, it gives the barrels character! All in all, very happy with these little barrels and the ability to turn grain neutral spirits into something much tastier!

The barrel arrived in good shape in early Oct 2022. In late October, I started the sealing process. I followed the preparation / barrel sealing instructions and on day 6 of treating it with water the barrel no longer leaked water. I then drained the water and filled it with whiskey. After about 3 days it started leaking whiskey. This is now mid November 2022. I then continued to watch it and kept patting it down with a wet rag to continue the sealing process. It never stopped dripping out of both bottom half ends of the barrel. I then did some research and as a last resort used soft white/clear wax (I used zipper wax) to coat both ends of the barrel and seems as well as the underside of the barrel where the metal bands wrap around the barrel slaves. That helped slow it down. After a few more weeks of watching it and putting more coats of wax on it, it now has come to a very slow drip (about a drip a day) and it is now mid December 2022. Let's hope it comes to a complete stop and I don't have to fuss with it much more in 2023.I can not comment on the oak barrel aged flavor induced into the whiskey yet as this is my first batch and I'm aging it until Feb 14, 2023 before I test it.JANUARY 12, 2023 UPDATE - still has slow drip. I just wiped it down and put coat #3 of my clear soft wax on all the seams. Fingers crossed.

Soaked barrel as manufacturer suggested, after two days I didn't see any water leaks so I drained it and filled with my mead. After one day it completely changes the flavor. Can't wait to taste after a month or so! Looks great too!

This was the second barrel that I have purchased, the stand for this barrel was not varnished. So side by side the difference between the two barrels is pronounced. Otherwise it is a well made product, I wouldn't have purchased the second if it wasn't. I'm writing to update my experience with this product, both have developed leaks at the spout. It appears not to be leaking from any of the seams, it appears to be seeping through the grain of the wood of the spout. Right at the tip or end of the spout, it's intermittent.It is for this reason that I feel that this is an inferior product and would not recommend it to others.

Leaks from spigot, doesn't stop with any spigot position.

I've bought two of these so far, both 1 liter. You have to quickly send the seller a note if you want unvarnished, because they ship within a couple of hours! The instructions that come with the barrels are clear, and easy to follow. You'll need to put water in your new barrel for a couple of days before you do it with liquor, but after that, it's very quick. A week is plenty to age liquor.In one, I've been aging my homemade vinegar. Just a few days, and it's yummier than before. In the other, we've so far done rum, and then brandy. The rum got delicious in about a week...but then we left it in for another five days, and it was too much for me. Next, we did brandy, and I took it out after a week. It is so nice, just richer than before. This is a way to make a cheap bottle of spirit taste a few notches better.The barrels look so nice in our kitchen, too.