The Juno’s Mini Barrel
Hey ya’ll, Gideon here from the Las Colinas location. A few months ago we brought in some mini aging barrels as both a product and a rewards item for you all. It piqued my interest right away but I’ve finally decided to give it a go of trying to make my own blend using some of my favorite whiskeys. Below I will explain my process and how long I anticipate waiting before bring this pour to you all.
My blend will consist of 600ml of the Milam & Greene Single Barrel Bourbon, 150ml of the Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon, and 250ml of the Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
After getting my barrel and ensuring I had cured it by filing it with water and just a few drops of liquor for an evening, I dumped that out and shook it to get any charred bits out of the barrel before adding my preferred whiskeys. Instruction state to keep the barrel in a cool place and avoid rapid temperature changes to prevent unnecessary evaporation. An additional note is that you can expect a typical evaporation rate of 3-5%, known as the “Angel’s Share,” per month. If you wish to age your blend for longer than that, it is recommended to keep a damp cloth on top of the barrel to reduce some of that evaporation.
As the image above indicates, I used my three favorite whiskeys we carry to start my own blend. Though the Milam & Greene Single Barrel does have a nice sweet finish, I wanted to add something a little savory with that beautiful pecan flavor that Blackland does so well. And finally, what else is a Louisiana boy to do but add New Orleans’ very own Sazerac Rye to give it a boost of traditional Rye flavor?
The fun part of these mini barrels is that due to the small volume of liquor in them, the aging process is much faster; ONE month in the mini barrel is the equivalent of SIX months in a full sized barrel. So, my aim is to let this blend age for six months, which will produce a blend aged 3 years together, taking on not only the flavors of the three whiskeys, but also adding the smooth oak flavor of the barrel to it.
In September, I will bring the barrel to our Las Colinas store to sample out the flavor and hopefully inspire you to begin your own personal blend. Come by any time between now and then to get your own barrel and let us know what you plan to blend. I’m excited to see how this one turns out