Wine, whiskey and brandy are stored in oak barrels to both age the contents and to add flavours that are absorbed from the oak staves.  Barrels are ordered as either American or European oak and, yes, they do add very different flavours! After a period of use, the surface has given all the tannins and flavinoids it can and the staves need shaving back to fresh wood. But stave shaving can only be done a couple of times before the barrels have given all there is to give. That’s the time you see them offered for sale. Companies like  (shown above) have some lovely re-purposed examples showing just what can be done. We also noticed that you can buy used hogsheads for just $99. If you’re interested in learning a bit more about why wine and some spirits are aged in oak, scroll down beneath the image gallery. But if you simply want to see the many ways of re-purposing wine barrels, here are some of the best ideas that we’ve come across… Click on any image to start lightbox display.

Use your Esc key to close the lightbox. You can also view the images as a slideshow if you prefer 😎 ‘Barrels’ actually come in a range of sizes with ‘barrels’ (italian barolo) being just one of those. The smaller the ‘barrel’ the greater the surface area compared to the amount of the beverage stored. Most winemakers, certainly in Australia and the USA, favour a size know as hogsheads which hold 300 litres (80 US gallons). The French still favour the barrique which is marginally smaller at about 225 litres. Barrels are made by coopers, a highly specialised trade that is rapidly disappearing due to many wineries using cheaper and faster (but not necessarily better) ways to age and impart oak ‘characteristics’.  Coopers still use age-old techniques to create a product that is sufficiently airtight to protect the contents from oxidation, but that still has the ability to allow the internal contents to interact slowly with the outside atmosphere. As a result, all oak ‘barrels’ are expensive, with new American Oak hogsheads costing around $800 and true French Oak hogsheads around 50% more! N

ow you know why good wines aren’t cheap 😉 When cheating is no longer cheating… Given the high cost of new oak – and the fact that truly new oak does the best job, many wineries have turned to using oak chips and even oak powder to give your palate the same overall impression of careful barrel aging. ThIndoor Fairy Lights Plug Ine fermentation and aging occurs in large (sometimes massive) temperature controlled, stainless-steel tanks. MoBengal Cat For Sale New Englanddern technologies can even carefully control interaction between the contents of the tank (vat) and the atmosphere to, again, approximate what happens in true wood aging. Silver Lab Puppies For Sale Chicago Think of it as another win for consumerism. A

750ml bottle of the latest Penfolds Grange Hermitage sells for $795 – well beyond the regular drinking habits of mere mortals. But for $8.95 you can buy a bottle of their Koonunga Hill shiraz. One is hand made in small batches and very carefully aged in new oak. The other, although an excellent value wine, is made to meet a price-point! Quality, Consistency and Repeatability in Every Batch. Crafting the industry’s finest products, The Barrel Mill starts with the highest quality American White Oak staves – which are sustainably sourced and air dried up to two years. We then individually mold, fire bend, toast and char to your specifications. Tongue and groove handcrafted heads are also charred, then sealed with local, organic beeswax. And finally, each barrel is hand tested with high temperature, pressurized filtered water to ensure there are no leaks. Nothing is left to chance. And nothing short of perfection comes your way. (Optional distillery logo can be laser engraved on the heads at an additional cost.)

Premium Oak Barrels for SpiritsWe then individually mold, joint, fire bend, toast and char to your specifications. Tongue and groove handcrafted heads are also charred, then sealed in place with local, organic beeswax. Nothing is left to chance. The Oak Infusion Spiral is our patented oak alternative used to add flavor and aroma to fine wine, but also can be applied to whiskey, rum and beer. It has been used in thousands of wines since 2005 with outstanding results from every major wine region in North America. The unique spiral-cut design creates unrivaled surface area in a small package, allowing fast extraction of the toasted oak's aroma and flavor compounds with refined integration in the wine. Creative / Display Barrels Make an immediate impact inside your business with a display system from The Barrel Mill®. Customize the perfect solution to use as a pedestal, container or one-of-a-kind dispenser. Roll out these barrels and watch sales roll in. Barrel Aged in a Bottle™

For centuries the world’s most celebrated distillers have known charred oak barrels are essential for aging the best spirits. Now, the ability to achieve similar results directly in the bottle - adding color, complexity, smoothness and subtle overtones – is made possible with Oak Infusion Spirals from The Barrel Mill. You can quickly and easily make a top-shelf impact on any bottle. In an age where Oak barrels are scarce, The Oak Infusion Spiral is widely known as an outstanding additive and alternative for fast Oak extraction and refined, integrated results. Our spirals are precision cut from premium oak, maximizing end grain exposure for full extraction in weeks, not months. Tank and barrel applications are getting rave reviews with distillers and their whiskies are being lauded as some of the industry’s finest. MERITAGE BLEND INFUSION SPIRAL Barrel Packs are calibrated to treat 59 to 70-gallons. When inserted into a neutral barrel, the Meritage Blend—the American oak version of our French oak Bordeaux Blend—releases multiple layers of fresh, new barrel toasted oak aromas and flavors using a mix of all four of our toast levels.

HYBRID OAK INFUSION SPIRALS by The Barrel Mill give winemakers premium French oak and premium American oak together in one barrel set, or pack, calibrated to treat 59 to 70-gallons. For wine aging in neutral barrels the Hybrid Spiral releases fresh, new-barrel, toasted oak aroma and flavor through its patented, spiral-cut design. Virtually all aromas and flavors of the Hybrid Oak Spiral are fully extracted in six weeks rather than eight to 12 months typically to extract from a new hybrid oak barrel -- but at a small fraction of the price. Burgundy Blend Infusion Spiral barrel packs replicate a barrel toasting gradient using a mix of three different toasts. Predominantly light and medium toasts--with a hint of medium plus--the Burgundy Blend creates a low impact oak alternative that respects delicate, oak-sensitive fruit and quietly contributes an elegant and mild background of premium French oak. This multi-toast pack eliminates the need to blend separate barrels aged with different toasts.

The Oak Infusion Spiral made from Eastern European Oak. Our Eastern European Oak Spiral Barrel Pack contains six spirals, a combination of three medium and three medium plus toasts in a single barrel application, to give a more complex and layered oak impact. BORDEAUX BLEND INFUSION SPIRAL Barrel Packs are calibrated to treat 59 to 70-gallons. When inserted into a neutral barrel, the Bordeaux Blend—the French oak version of our American oak Meritage Blend—releases multiple layers of fresh, new barrel toasted oak aromas and flavors using a mix of all four of our toast levels. For Syrah, Zinfandel and Other Robust Reds, Rhône Blend Infusion Spiral barrel packs replicate a barrel toasting gradient using a mix of three different toasts. With a combination of medium, medium plus and heavy toasts, Rhône Blend Barrel Packs create a muscular oak alternative that complements hearty varietals and contributes a significant, yet balanced, component of premium French oak. Multi-toast packs eliminate the need to blend separate barrels aged with different single toasts.

Complexity is aged in each barrel. Single Toast or Multiple Toast Blends Deliver True Barrel-Like Quality The Oak Infusion Spiral is the reliable oak alternative for simple and fast extraction of toasted oak aroma and flavor compounds that deliver refined, integrated results eight times faster than, and at a small fraction of the price of, a new barrel. Choose one of four single-temperature toasts when you desire a very specific concentrated flavor and aroma profile. Click the toasts below for descriptions. Use one of our Multiple Toast Barrel Pack Blends for a more layered and diverse flavor style. Made using the coolest oven temperature of our four single-toast choices, Light Toast contributes noticeable structure with its high tannin content while highlighting natural flavors in your beverage. Light Toast is also good for reducing vegetal character in wine. French oak will provide a milder aroma and flavor impact than American oak, and more tannin. Light Toast American Oak will give a noticeable coconut contribution.

Order Here: French Oak Barrel Pack Order Here: French Oak Tank Pack Order Here: American Oak Barrel Pack Order Here: American Oak Tank Pack A mid-level temperature that showcases the natural vanillin compound in oak, Medium Toast offers a sweet bouquet with warm vanilla overtones. French oak will provide a milder aroma and flavor impact than American oak, and more tannin. Order Here: Hybrid Oak Barrel Pack Increased oven temperature begins to develop some caramelized sugars that contribute aromas of honey and roasted nuts with a hint of coffee and spice. Notes of mocha and chocolate are noticeable on the palate. The high-temperature toast, Heavy, creates pronounced caramelized wood that adds notes of smoke, toasted bread and dark chocolate. Char#3 American oak spiral- adds super dark color, smoke, vanilla, and caramel flavors with nice tannin structure For my spirits, there’s simply no alternative. - Paul Hletko, Few Spirit We like the Oak Spiral products for adding complexity to our blends.