Make Your Own Barrel-Aged Cherry Bourbon at Home
Craft a rich, fruit-forward Cherry Bourbon-style whiskey at home with the Swish Barrel Bootleg Kit™ from Thousand Oaks Barrel Co. This complete Cherry Bourbon making and barrel aging kit combines premium Cherry Bourbon Essence with a real charred American white oak barrel, giving you the essential ingredients, equipment and instructions to create and age your own small-batch cherry bourbon-style spirit at home.
Cherry and bourbon are a natural flavor combination. Our Cherry Bourbon profile brings together ripe cherry, caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, subtle brown sugar and warm baking spice for a smooth, rich whiskey-style spirit that balances fruit sweetness with classic bourbon-inspired character.
The experience goes beyond simply adding cherry bourbon flavor to a bottle. Your prepared spirit actually rests inside a charred American white oak barrel, allowing the liquid to interact directly with the wood and develop additional vanilla, caramel, toasted oak and spice characteristics as it ages.
Whether you're searching for a Cherry Bourbon making kit, cherry whiskey kit, bourbon making kit, bourbon barrel aging kit, home whiskey making kit or unique gift for a bourbon lover, the Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit gives you a hands-on way to explore the combination of fruit, bourbon-style flavor and real oak barrel aging.
Made in the USA. Alcohol is not included.
What Is a Cherry Bourbon Making Kit?
The Cherry Bourbon Making Kit is a home barrel-aging experience designed to let you create a cherry bourbon-style whiskey using Cherry Bourbon Essence and a real charred American white oak barrel.
You supply the neutral spirit or grain alcohol. The kit supplies the Cherry Bourbon Essence, oak barrel and accessories needed to create and age your own small batch.
Rather than simply mixing the essence into a bottle and serving it immediately, the Swish Barrel Bootleg Kit™ lets your prepared spirit spend time inside an actual oak barrel. As the liquid remains in contact with the charred wood, you can taste how the relationship between cherry, caramel, vanilla, bourbon-style flavor and oak changes and develops.
It's part Cherry Bourbon making kit, part whiskey aging kit and part hands-on experiment in American oak barrel aging.
Real Charred American White Oak Barrel Aging
At the heart of the Cherry Bourbon Kit is a real charred American white oak aging barrel. The barrel isn't simply decorative — your prepared spirit is aged in direct contact with the wood.
As your Cherry Bourbon-style spirit rests inside the barrel, the charred American white oak can contribute flavors and aromas including vanilla, caramel, toasted wood and warm spice. These oak-derived characteristics pair naturally with the sweet and slightly tart character of cherry.
The combination creates layers of complementary flavor. Vanilla and caramel enhance the fruit's sweetness, toasted oak adds depth, and warm spice provides balance, helping create a richer Cherry Bourbon profile than fruit flavor alone.
Small oak barrels also have a greater surface-area-to-volume ratio than traditional full-size commercial barrels. A greater proportion of the spirit is therefore in contact with the wood, allowing noticeable oak flavor extraction to occur more quickly.
That makes a small American white oak barrel an excellent way to experiment with home bourbon aging, flavored whiskey and small-batch barrel aging.
Cherry Bourbon Flavor Profile
Expect a smooth, fruit-forward bourbon-style whiskey with ripe cherry at the center of the flavor profile. The cherry provides a balance of sweetness and bright fruit character, while caramel, vanilla and subtle brown sugar create a richer bourbon-inspired foundation.
Warm baking spice adds complexity without overpowering the fruit. As the spirit spends time inside the charred American white oak barrel, additional vanilla, caramel, toasted wood and oak character can become more noticeable.
The finished flavor brings together ripe cherry, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, toasted oak and warm baking spice with a smooth, warming and slightly fruity finish.
Enjoy your finished Cherry Bourbon-style whiskey neat, over ice, in a Cherry Old Fashioned, Manhattan-style cocktail, Whiskey Sour or your favorite bourbon cocktail.
How the Cherry Bourbon Making Kit Works
Begin by curing and preparing your American white oak barrel according to the included instructions. This process hydrates the wood and prepares the barrel for aging.
Once the barrel is prepared, add your neutral spirit or grain alcohol along with the supplied Cherry Bourbon Essence. Gently mix the ingredients and allow your Cherry Bourbon-style spirit to rest inside the charred oak barrel.
Begin tasting your whiskey periodically as it ages. Because small barrels provide increased wood contact, barrel character can develop considerably faster than it does in a traditional full-size commercial barrel.
As the flavor develops, look for the interaction between the cherry and bourbon-style characteristics of the essence and the vanilla, caramel, toasted oak and spice contributed by the barrel.
When your Cherry Bourbon reaches the flavor you prefer, dispense it directly through the barrel's wooden spigot or transfer it into bottles for serving and storage.
There is no single aging time you have to follow. Taste your whiskey along the way and decide for yourself when the balance of cherry, sweetness, bourbon character and oak is right.
Everything You Need in One Cherry Bourbon Making Kit
The Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit brings the key components of home whiskey making and small-barrel aging together in one package. Each kit includes:
- Real charred American white oak aging barrel
- Wooden barrel stand/cradle
- Wooden bung
- Wooden spigot
- Cherry Bourbon 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 Cherry Bourbon Barrel Size
The Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit is available in 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20 liter sizes. Choose a smaller barrel for your first home whiskey-aging experience or a larger barrel when you want to prepare a bigger batch.
| 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" |
Why Age Cherry Bourbon in a Small Oak Barrel?
Cherry and charred oak work particularly well together. The bright fruit character of cherry complements the vanilla, caramel, toasted wood and warm spice that can be extracted from an oak barrel.
As your Cherry Bourbon-style spirit rests against the American white oak, the cherry remains an important part of the profile while the barrel can add greater depth and complexity. A spirit that begins with prominent fruit character can gradually develop a richer balance of cherry, caramel, vanilla, toasted oak and spice.
Because a small barrel has more wood surface area relative to the amount of liquid it contains, oak flavor extraction can occur more quickly than it does in a full-size commercial barrel. For that reason, tasting your whiskey periodically is an important part of the experience.
Your finished Cherry Bourbon-style spirit will vary depending on your base spirit, barrel size, aging time, storage conditions and personal taste. That variation is part of what makes creating your own small batch so interesting.
Why Cherry and Bourbon Work So Well Together
Cherry has long been a natural companion to bourbon and whiskey. Its combination of fruit sweetness and gentle tartness works especially well with the deeper flavors of caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, spice and oak.
Those flavors already meet in classic whiskey culture. Cherries are commonly paired with bourbon in cocktails, garnishes, sauces and desserts because the fruit can add brightness without hiding the whiskey's richer character.
The Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit takes that familiar pairing one step further by introducing real charred oak barrel aging. Instead of simply mixing cherry flavor with whiskey, you can experience how cherry, bourbon-style flavor and American white oak interact over time.
Fruit-Forward Without Losing the Bourbon Character
A good Cherry Bourbon shouldn't taste like simple cherry candy. The fruit should be noticeable, but it should still be supported by the deeper characteristics people associate with bourbon-style whiskey.
That's why the Cherry Bourbon profile combines ripe cherry with caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, warm spice and toasted oak. The cherry provides the fruit-forward character while the other flavors create depth, warmth and balance.
Barrel aging adds another variable. Early samples may emphasize the cherry, while additional time against the charred oak can bring forward more vanilla, caramel, toast and spice. Taste your batch periodically and choose the balance you like best.
From the Barrel to the Cocktail Glass
Cherry Bourbon is especially versatile because its fruit character works both as a sipping whiskey-style spirit and as a cocktail ingredient. Serve it neat or over ice to appreciate the combination of cherry and oak, or use it as the foundation for a whiskey cocktail.
Try your finished spirit in a Cherry Bourbon Old Fashioned, Manhattan-style cocktail or Whiskey Sour. The profile also pairs naturally with ingredients such as orange, bitters, lemon, cola, ginger, maple, chocolate and warm baking spices.
Or keep things simple: place the barrel on your home bar and pour your finished Cherry Bourbon directly from the wooden spigot.
A Flavor for Every Season
Cherry Bourbon works throughout the year. Its bright fruit character makes it enjoyable in refreshing cocktails, while the combination of cherry, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar and warm spice also fits naturally into fall and holiday drinks.
Use it in summer whiskey cocktails, pair it with citrus and bitters, or combine it with warmer flavors during the cooler months. Its balance of fruit and oak gives home bartenders plenty of room to experiment.
A Unique Gift for Bourbon and Whiskey Lovers
The Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit makes a memorable gift for bourbon drinkers, flavored whiskey fans, home bartenders, cocktail lovers and anyone interested in oak barrel aging.
It's an especially fun choice for birthdays, Father's Day, Christmas, anniversaries, retirements, groomsmen and home-bar enthusiasts.
Instead of simply giving another bottle of flavored whiskey, the kit gives someone an experience. They can prepare a real oak barrel, create their own Cherry Bourbon-style spirit, taste it throughout the aging process and decide when their small batch is ready.
The American white oak barrel also makes an impressive display piece for a home bar, whiskey room, kitchen, man cave or bar cart while the Cherry Bourbon ages.
Cherry Bourbon Making Kit FAQs
What is the Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit?
The Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit is a home whiskey-making and barrel-aging kit that combines Cherry Bourbon Essence with a real charred American white oak barrel, accessories and instructions for creating your own cherry bourbon-style spirit at home.
What is included in the Cherry Bourbon Making Kit?
The kit includes a real charred American white oak barrel with stand, bung and spigot, Cherry Bourbon Essence, a paper funnel, barrel cleaning/restoration supplies, The Bootlegger's Bible aging guide and step-by-step barrel preparation and aging instructions. The quantity of Cherry Bourbon Essence is matched to the barrel size selected.
Does the Cherry Bourbon Kit include alcohol?
No. Alcohol is not included. You supply the neutral spirit or grain alcohol used with the Cherry Bourbon Essence and oak barrel.
Is the included bourbon barrel real oak?
Yes. The kit includes a real charred American white oak barrel. Your prepared spirit is aged in direct contact with the wood interior of the barrel.
What does Cherry Bourbon taste like?
The Cherry Bourbon flavor profile features ripe cherry, caramel, vanilla, subtle brown sugar, toasted oak and warm baking spice with a smooth, rich and warming finish. Additional vanilla, caramel, toast and oak character can develop as the spirit spends time inside the barrel.
Is Cherry Bourbon sweet?
Cherry Bourbon has a noticeable fruit sweetness, but the profile is designed to balance that sweetness with bourbon-style flavor, caramel, vanilla, toasted oak and warm spice. The goal is a fruit-forward whiskey-style spirit rather than a simple sugary cherry flavor.
How long should I age my Cherry Bourbon?
There is no single aging time that is right for every batch. Small barrels provide substantial wood contact, so taste your Cherry Bourbon periodically. When it reaches your preferred balance of cherry, caramel, vanilla, spice and oak, it is ready to bottle or serve.
What size barrels are available?
The Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit is available with 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20 liter American white oak barrels.
Can I serve Cherry Bourbon directly from the barrel?
Yes. Once your Cherry Bourbon-style spirit reaches your preferred flavor, it can be dispensed directly through the barrel's wooden spigot or transferred into bottles.
What cocktails can I make with Cherry Bourbon?
Cherry Bourbon works especially well in a Cherry Old Fashioned, Manhattan-style cocktail, Whiskey Sour and other bourbon-forward drinks. Its cherry, caramel and vanilla profile also pairs naturally with orange, bitters, lemon, ginger, maple, cola, chocolate and baking spices.
Is the Cherry Bourbon Making Kit suitable for beginners?
Yes. The kit includes the barrel, Cherry Bourbon Essence, accessories and step-by-step instructions needed to guide someone through the home barrel-aging process, making it suitable for beginners as well as experienced whiskey enthusiasts.
Is the Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit a good gift?
Yes. It makes a unique experiential gift for bourbon lovers, flavored whiskey drinkers, cocktail enthusiasts and home bartenders. Instead of simply receiving another bottle, the recipient gets to prepare a real oak barrel, create their own spirit and experience how its flavor develops during barrel aging.
Craft It. Age It. Taste It. Make It Yours.
The Cherry Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit turns a simple spirit into a hands-on whiskey-making and barrel-aging experience. Start with your spirit and Cherry Bourbon Essence, age it inside a real charred American white oak barrel, and taste the transformation as ripe cherry, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, warm spice and toasted oak come together.
Taste it along the way and decide where you want the balance to land — brighter and more fruit-forward, richer and more oak-driven, or somewhere perfectly in between. When it's right, pour a glass straight from your barrel and enjoy a Cherry Bourbon-style whiskey you helped create.
Craft your own barrel-aged Cherry Bourbon-style whiskey at home.
Made in the USA. Alcohol not included.
