Make Your Own Barrel-Aged Tennessee Whiskey at Home
Craft a smooth, mellow Tennessee-style whiskey at home with the Swish Barrel Bootleg Kit™ from Thousand Oaks Barrel Co. This complete Tennessee whiskey making and barrel aging kit combines premium Tennessee Whiskey Essence with a charred American white oak barrel, giving you everything you need to create and age your own small-batch whiskey at home.
Tennessee-style whiskey is known for its smooth, approachable character, with caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, gentle sweetness and warm spice. Aging your spirit in a real charred oak barrel adds another layer of depth as the whiskey interacts directly with the wood, developing richer aroma, color and barrel character over time.
Whether you're a whiskey enthusiast, home bartender or experimenting with small-barrel aging for the first time, this kit provides the essential equipment and step-by-step guidance you need to create your own distinctive barrel-aged Tennessee-style whiskey.
Made in the USA. Alcohol is not included.
Real American White Oak Barrel Aging
At the heart of the kit is a charred American white oak aging barrel designed for aging spirits at home. Instead of simply adding flavoring to a bottle, barrel aging allows your spirit to interact directly with real oak as it rests and develops.
During aging, the spirit draws flavor and aroma from the charred wood, developing additional notes of vanilla, caramel, toasted oak and warm spice. These barrel-derived characteristics complement the smooth, slightly sweet profile of Tennessee Whiskey Essence and help create a fuller, more rounded finished spirit.
Small oak barrels have a much greater wood-to-spirit ratio than traditional full-size commercial barrels. This increased contact with the oak allows flavor extraction and maturation to occur faster, making small barrels ideal for home whiskey aging and experimentation.
Tennessee Whiskey Flavor Profile
Expect a smooth, mellow and slightly sweet whiskey-style spirit with layers of caramel, vanilla and toasted oak, complemented by gentle baking spice and a warm, easy-drinking finish.
As the spirit ages, the oak adds greater depth and wood character, helping round out the sweetness and create a more complex whiskey profile. The finished spirit can be enjoyed neat, over ice or in your favorite whiskey cocktails and classic mixed drinks.
How the Tennessee Whiskey Making Kit Works
Before making 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 Tennessee 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 the flavor develops. Because smaller barrels provide increased wood contact, barrel character can develop considerably faster than it does in traditional full-size commercial barrels.
When the flavor reaches your preference, simply dispense your finished Tennessee-style whiskey directly from the barrel's wooden spigot and enjoy.
You can experiment with aging time to create a lighter, sweeter whiskey or allow additional oak, vanilla and caramel character to develop.
Everything You Need in One Tennessee Whiskey Making Kit
Each Tennessee Whiskey Barrel Aging Kit includes:
- Charred American white oak aging barrel
- Wooden barrel stand/cradle
- Wooden bung
- Wooden spigot
- Tennessee 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 Tennessee Whiskey Barrel Aging Kit is available in 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20 liter sizes, making it easy to choose the right barrel for a first home-aging experiment, home bar or larger 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" |
A Unique Gift for Whiskey Lovers
The Tennessee Whiskey Barrel Aging Kit makes a memorable gift for whiskey drinkers, bourbon 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, kitchen, man cave or bar cart while your whiskey ages.
Instead of simply giving someone another bottle of whiskey, this kit gives them the experience of making, aging, tasting and serving their own barrel-aged Tennessee-style whiskey.
Why Age Tennessee Whiskey in a Small Oak Barrel?
Traditional whiskey develops much of its flavor and character through time spent in oak. Wood aging can contribute color, aroma, flavor and texture while adding the vanilla, caramel and toasted characteristics associated with barrel-aged spirits.
A small aging barrel provides a greater surface-area-to-volume ratio than a traditional full-size barrel, meaning a greater proportion of the spirit is in direct contact with the wood. This allows oak flavors and aromas to develop more quickly and makes small barrels especially useful for experimenting with whiskey aging at home.
As your Tennessee-style whiskey ages, the American white oak can contribute additional vanilla, caramel, toasted wood and warm spice characteristics that complement the smooth, slightly sweet essence profile. Your finished flavor will vary depending on your base spirit, barrel size, aging time and personal preference.
Craft It. Age It. Taste It. Make It Yours.
The Tennessee Whiskey Barrel Aging Kit turns a simple spirit into a hands-on whiskey-making and barrel-aging experience. Start with your spirit and Tennessee 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 Tennessee-style whiskey at home.
Made in the USA. Alcohol not included.
