Make Your Own Smooth Winter Wheat Bourbon at Home
Craft a smooth, mellow Winter Wheat Bourbon-style whiskey at home with the Swish Barrel Bootleg Kit™ from Thousand Oaks Barrel Co. This complete Winter Wheat Bourbon making and barrel aging kit combines premium Winter Wheat 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 wheated bourbon-style spirit at home.
Wheat is prized in American whiskey for the softer, rounder character it can bring to a bourbon-style flavor profile. Our Winter Wheat Bourbon Essence combines sweet grain, caramel, vanilla, honey, toasted oak and gentle baking spice for a smooth, approachable whiskey with a rich sweetness and warm finish.
The experience goes beyond simply adding 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 wheated bourbon making kit, Winter Wheat Bourbon kit, whiskey making kit, bourbon barrel aging kit, home whiskey aging kit or gift for a bourbon lover, the Winter Wheat Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit gives you a hands-on way to explore the combination of soft wheat character and charred American oak.
Made in the USA. Alcohol is not included.
What Is a Winter Wheat Bourbon Making Kit?
The Winter Wheat Bourbon Making Kit is a home barrel-aging experience designed to let you create a smooth, wheated bourbon-style whiskey using Winter Wheat Bourbon Essence and a real charred American white oak barrel.
You supply the neutral spirit or grain alcohol. The kit supplies the Winter Wheat 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 wheat, caramel, vanilla, sweetness and oak changes and develops.
It's part wheated whiskey making kit, part bourbon-style aging kit and part hands-on experiment in American oak barrel aging.
Real Charred American White Oak Barrel Aging
At the heart of the Winter Wheat 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.
Charred American white oak is closely associated with traditional American bourbon production. As a spirit interacts with the wood, the barrel can contribute flavors and aromas including vanilla, caramel, toasted wood and warm spice.
Those oak-derived characteristics are especially complementary to a wheated bourbon-style profile. The softer grain character of wheat provides a smooth foundation, while caramel and vanilla add sweetness and the toasted oak provides depth and structure.
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, wheated whiskey and small-batch barrel aging.
Winter Wheat Bourbon Flavor Profile
Expect a smooth, mellow and slightly sweet bourbon-style whiskey with a soft grain character at its foundation. Winter wheat provides a gentler flavor direction than a rye-forward whiskey profile, while caramel, vanilla and honey contribute richness and sweetness.
Gentle baking spice provides balance without dominating the whiskey. As the spirit spends time inside the charred American white oak barrel, additional vanilla, caramel, toasted wood and warm oak can become more noticeable.
The finished profile brings together sweet wheat, caramel, vanilla, honey, toasted oak and gentle baking spice with a smooth, rounded and warming finish.
Enjoy your finished Winter Wheat Bourbon-style whiskey neat, with a splash of water, over ice, in an Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour or your favorite bourbon cocktail.
How the Winter Wheat 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 Winter Wheat Bourbon Essence. Gently mix the ingredients and allow your 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 soft wheat, caramel and honey characteristics of the essence and the vanilla, toasted oak and warm spice contributed by the barrel.
When your Winter Wheat 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 as it develops and decide for yourself when the balance of sweet grain, caramel, vanilla, spice and oak is right.
Everything You Need in One Winter Wheat Bourbon Making Kit
The Winter Wheat 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
- Winter Wheat 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 Winter Wheat Bourbon Barrel Size
The Winter Wheat 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" |
What Is Wheated Bourbon?
In traditional bourbon production, the grain recipe commonly includes corn along with other grains such as rye, wheat and malted barley. A wheated bourbon uses wheat as an important flavoring grain rather than relying on rye for the secondary grain character.
That difference can produce a noticeably different flavor direction. Where rye is often associated with peppery or spicy notes, wheat is generally associated with a softer, sweeter and more rounded whiskey profile.
The Winter Wheat Bourbon Essence is designed around that smooth wheated style, emphasizing sweet grain, caramel, vanilla, honey and gentle spice rather than a sharper rye-forward character.
Why Age Winter Wheat Bourbon in a Small Oak Barrel?
The soft character of wheat works particularly well with charred American oak. Vanilla and caramel from the wood reinforce the sweeter side of the whiskey, while toasted oak and gentle spice provide contrast and complexity.
A small barrel provides more wood surface area relative to the amount of liquid it contains than a full-size commercial barrel. That increased wood contact allows you to observe noticeable changes in oak flavor over a comparatively short home-aging period.
Taste your whiskey periodically rather than relying on a fixed aging time. You may prefer your Winter Wheat Bourbon while the soft grain and honey notes are more prominent, or you may choose additional barrel time to develop a stronger vanilla, caramel and toasted oak character.
Your finished whiskey-style spirit will vary depending on your base spirit, barrel size, aging time, storage conditions and personal taste. That variation is part of the experience of creating your own small batch.
Wheated Bourbon vs. Rye-Forward Bourbon
One of the easiest ways to understand the Winter Wheat flavor profile is to compare it with a rye-forward American whiskey. Rye tends to contribute a more assertive peppery, spicy and sometimes herbal character. Wheat generally moves in a softer direction.
A wheated bourbon-style profile emphasizes smooth grain sweetness, caramel, vanilla and a rounded mouthfeel, with the barrel supplying toasted oak and warm spice.
Neither style is inherently better — they're simply different. If you enjoy smoother, sweeter bourbon profiles rather than whiskey with a stronger rye-spice character, the Winter Wheat Bourbon Kit is an excellent flavor profile to explore.
A Smooth Bourbon-Style Whiskey for Sipping and Cocktails
The mellow character of Winter Wheat Bourbon makes it particularly versatile. Serve your finished spirit neat to appreciate its softer wheat and oak character, add a splash of water, or pour it over a large ice cube.
Its combination of caramel, vanilla, honey, toasted oak and gentle spice also works naturally in bourbon-forward cocktails such as an Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour or Manhattan-style drink.
Or keep things simple: place the barrel on your home bar and pour your finished Winter Wheat Bourbon directly from the wooden spigot.
From Winter Wheat to American Whiskey Tradition
Wheat has long played a role in American whiskey making, and wheated bourbon has developed a devoted following among drinkers who prefer a smoother and less spice-forward style.
The Winter Wheat Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit lets you explore that flavor direction at home by combining a smooth wheated bourbon-style essence with real charred American white oak.
As the spirit rests in the barrel, taste how the balance changes. The softer grain and honey notes provide the foundation, while caramel, vanilla, toasted wood and spice can become increasingly noticeable through contact with the oak.
A Unique Gift for Wheated Bourbon and Whiskey Lovers
The Winter Wheat Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit makes a memorable gift for bourbon drinkers, wheated whiskey fans, whiskey enthusiasts, home bartenders and anyone interested in oak barrel aging.
It's a particularly good choice for someone who enjoys a smooth, mellow and slightly sweeter bourbon flavor profile rather than a heavily spiced or strongly peated whiskey.
Instead of simply giving another bottle of bourbon, the kit gives someone the experience of preparing a real oak barrel, creating their own bourbon-style spirit, tasting it throughout the aging process and deciding when their batch is ready.
The real American white oak barrel also makes an impressive display piece for a home bar, whiskey room, kitchen, man cave or bar cart while the whiskey ages.
Winter Wheat Bourbon Making Kit FAQs
What is the Winter Wheat Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit?
The Winter Wheat Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit is a home whiskey-making and barrel-aging kit that combines Winter Wheat Bourbon Essence with a real charred American white oak barrel, accessories and instructions for creating your own smooth wheated bourbon-style spirit at home.
What is included in the Winter Wheat Bourbon Kit?
The kit includes a real charred American white oak barrel with stand, bung and spigot, Winter Wheat 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 essence is matched to the barrel size selected.
Does the Winter Wheat Bourbon Kit include alcohol?
No. Alcohol is not included. You supply the neutral spirit or grain alcohol used with the Winter Wheat Bourbon Essence and oak barrel.
Is the included whiskey 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 Winter Wheat Bourbon taste like?
The Winter Wheat Bourbon profile features sweet wheat, caramel, vanilla, honey, toasted oak and gentle baking spice with a smooth, mellow and warming finish. Additional vanilla, caramel, toast and oak character can develop as the spirit spends time in the barrel.
What makes a wheated bourbon flavor different?
A wheated bourbon-style profile tends to be softer, smoother and less spice-forward than a whiskey profile that relies heavily on rye. Wheat complements sweet flavors such as caramel, vanilla and honey while allowing the oak character to remain noticeable.
Is Winter Wheat Bourbon the same as rye whiskey?
No. The flavor profiles are distinctly different. Rye-forward whiskey is generally associated with more pepper, spice and herbal character, while a wheated bourbon-style profile emphasizes softer grain sweetness, caramel, vanilla and a rounded finish.
How long should I age my Winter Wheat Bourbon?
There is no single aging time that is right for every batch. Small barrels provide substantial wood contact, so taste your whiskey periodically. When it reaches your preferred balance of wheat, caramel, vanilla, honey, spice and oak, it is ready to bottle or serve.
What size barrels are available?
The Winter Wheat Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit is available with 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20 liter American white oak barrels.
Can I serve my Winter Wheat Bourbon directly from the barrel?
Yes. Once your bourbon-style spirit reaches your preferred flavor, it can be dispensed directly through the barrel's wooden spigot or transferred into bottles.
Is the Winter Wheat Bourbon Kit suitable for beginners?
Yes. The kit includes the barrel, Winter Wheat 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 Winter Wheat Bourbon Kit a good gift?
Yes. It makes a unique experiential gift for bourbon lovers, wheated whiskey drinkers, home bartenders and home-bar enthusiasts. Instead of simply receiving another bottle of whiskey, 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 Winter Wheat Bourbon Barrel Aging Kit turns a simple spirit into a hands-on whiskey-making and barrel-aging experience. Start with your spirit and Winter Wheat Bourbon Essence, age it inside a real charred American white oak barrel, and taste the transformation as sweet wheat, caramel, vanilla, honey, gentle spice and toasted oak come together.
Taste it along the way and decide when the balance of soft grain sweetness and oak is exactly where you want it. Then pour a glass straight from your barrel and enjoy a smooth wheated bourbon-style whiskey you helped create.
Craft your own barrel-aged Winter Wheat Bourbon-style whiskey at home.
Made in the USA. Alcohol not included.
