Make Your Own Barrel-Aged Wild Bourbon Whiskey at Home
Craft a smooth, full-flavored Wild Bourbon Whiskey at home with the Swish Barrel Bootleg Kit™ from Thousand Oaks Barrel Co. This complete bourbon whiskey making and barrel aging kit combines premium Wild Bourbon Whiskey essence with a charred American white oak barrel, allowing you to create and age your own small-batch whiskey right at home.
Wild Bourbon Whiskey is inspired by the bold, approachable character of classic American bourbon, with sweet caramel and vanilla flavors, toasted oak, subtle honey and warm spice notes, and a smooth, lingering finish. Aging your spirit in a real charred oak barrel adds another dimension of authentic barrel character as the whiskey interacts directly with the wood.
Whether you're an experienced whiskey enthusiast or trying home barrel aging for the first time, the kit provides the essential equipment and step-by-step guidance you need to create a distinctive barrel-aged spirit.
Made in the USA. Alcohol is not included.
Real American White Oak Barrel Aging
The centerpiece of every kit is a charred American white oak aging barrel handcrafted for aging spirits at home. Unlike simply adding flavoring to a bottle, barrel aging allows your spirit to interact with real oak.
During aging, the spirit draws flavor and character from the charred wood, developing notes associated with traditionally barrel-aged whiskey, including oak, vanilla, caramel and warm spice.
Small barrels also have a much higher wood-to-spirit ratio than full-size commercial whiskey barrels. This increased contact with the oak allows flavor extraction and maturation to occur much faster, making small barrels ideal for experimenting with whiskey aging at home.
Wild Bourbon Whiskey Flavor Profile
Expect a smooth, slightly sweet American bourbon-style whiskey with layers of caramel, vanilla and toasted oak, complemented by honey-like sweetness and gentle baking spice. Barrel aging rounds out the spirit and adds additional depth and wood character for a balanced, flavorful finish.
The result is an approachable whiskey that's enjoyable neat, over ice or in your favorite whiskey cocktails.
How the Wild Bourbon Whiskey Making Kit Works
Before aging your first batch, cure and prepare the oak barrel according to the included instructions. Add your neutral spirit or grain alcohol along with the supplied Wild Bourbon Whiskey Essence, then gently mix the ingredients inside the barrel.
Allow the spirit to age in the charred oak barrel and begin tasting it periodically as it develops. Because smaller barrels provide greater wood contact, the aging process happens considerably faster than it does in traditional full-size commercial barrels.
When the flavor reaches your preference, simply pour your finished Wild Bourbon Whiskey directly from the barrel's wooden spigot and enjoy.
You can experiment with aging time to develop a whiskey that suits your individual taste.
Everything You Need in One Whiskey Making Kit
Each Wild Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Aging Kit includes:
- Charred American white oak aging barrel
- Wooden barrel stand/cradle
- Wooden bung
- Wooden spigot
- Wild Bourbon Whiskey Essence — quantity matched to barrel size
- Paper funnel
- Barrel cleaning/restoration kit
- The Bootlegger's Bible: A Spiritual Guide to Aging
- Step-by-step barrel preparation and aging instructions
Alcohol is not included.
Choose Your Barrel Size
The Wild Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Aging Kit is available in 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20 liter sizes, making it easy to choose a barrel for everything from a first home-aging experiment to larger batches.
| Barrel Size | Approximate Dimensions |
|---|---|
| 1 Liter | 6.5" × 4.5" × 4.5" |
| 2 Liter | 7.5" × 5" × 5" |
| 3 Liter | 8.5" × 5.5" × 5.5" |
| 5 Liter | 9.5" × 6.5" × 6.5" |
| 10 Liter | 12" × 8" × 8" |
| 20 Liter | 15" × 10.5" × 10.5" |
A Unique Gift for Whiskey and Bourbon Lovers
The Wild Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Aging Kit makes a memorable gift for bourbon drinkers, whiskey enthusiasts, home bartenders and anyone interested in learning how barrel aging works.
The real oak barrel also makes an impressive display piece for a home bar, whiskey room, man cave, kitchen or bar cart while your whiskey ages.
Instead of simply giving someone another bottle of whiskey, you're giving them the experience of making, aging, tasting and serving their own barrel-aged spirit.
Why Age Whiskey in a Small Oak Barrel?
Commercial bourbon is traditionally aged in large oak barrels for years. A small aging barrel works differently because a greater percentage of the spirit is in direct contact with the oak.
That increased surface-area-to-volume ratio accelerates the extraction of oak compounds responsible for many familiar barrel-aged flavors and aromas. It makes small barrels especially useful for home whiskey aging, cocktail aging and experimenting with different aging times.
Your finished flavor will vary depending on the base spirit, barrel size, aging time, temperature and personal taste — which is part of what makes barrel aging at home so interesting.
Craft It. Age It. Taste It. Make It Yours.
The Wild Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Aging Kit turns whiskey into an experience. Start with your spirit and Wild Bourbon Whiskey Essence, age it inside a real charred American white oak barrel, taste the transformation as it develops, and decide when your whiskey is ready.
Craft your own barrel-aged Wild Bourbon Whiskey at home.
Made in the USA. Alcohol not included.
