Having a well-stocked bar or wine cellar can be impressive. But its childs play compared to owning an entire barrel of your favorite brand. A number of wineries and distilleries allow you to buy by the barrel—and even give you a say in what goes into the cask. In other words, youll not only get a couple hundred bottles worth of booze, youll also get to brag about pouring your own “special blend” — and maybe even give a couple away as gifts. Talk about a cool wedding party favor. Grooms, are you listening? Heres how you can buy whiskey, tequila and wine by the barrel.
A barrel of Jack: Arguably Americas most recognized whiskey, Jack Daniels is one of the few distilleries that allow you to buy by the barrel. A barrel of Jack will set you back anywhere between $9,000 and $12,000 (equivalent to some $40 or $50 per bottle), so you might want to split it with friends. Why no fixed price? Because it all depends on the angels share, the term used to refer to the liquid that evaporates as the spirit ages.
If youre going invest in an entire barrel, you may as well splurge on a trip down to Lynchburg, Tennessee to select it. Youll get to meet with Master Distiller Jeff Arnett, who will help you pick a barrel that best suits your taste. If you cant make the trip, hell happily choose one for you. Once your barrel has been selected and bottled, you can expect to receive about 250 hand-bottled decanters, each displaying the individual barrel number it came from, the date it was bottled and a medallion proclaiming it yours. You also get to keep the actual barrel as a trophy.
A barrel of bourbon: To buy a barrel of Four Roses bourbon, the first thing youll need is a licensed retailer to act as a middleman. (Its the same deal with Jack Daniels and other distilleries that sell by the barrel.) Of course, the good folks at Four Roses can always help you find a local retail connection, if necessary. Master Distiller Jim Rutledge will help you hand pick your bottle, but only after much sampling. Youll taste your way through more than a dozen pre-selected barrels that Jim sets aside before you arrive. (If you cant make it to Kentucky, the distillery will send you samples.)
Once youve narrowed it down to your favorite, simply sign your barrel and head home knowing that a ton of bourbon is headed your way. The bottles will arrive with a special label that identifies the bourbon as hand-picked and hand-bottled. Youll also get the barrel, which you can use for anything from a side table to a badass planter.
A barrel of tequila: If Emmitt Smith can buy his own barrel of reposado, then you should be able to, as well. Tequila Herradura kicked off its Buy-the-Barrel program last year with the NFL star (and Dancing with the Stars winner). The distillery encourages prospective barrel owners to travel to its Hacienda San Jose del Refugio, near Guadalajara in Mexico, where they can select their own double-barrel reposado tequila (that is, 100% blue agave tequila aged for 11 months in oak, then finished in a new toasted oak barrel for an additional month).
Once the tequila is bottled, the barrel is varnished, branded and shipped to you with a framed certificate of ownership. At $10,000 for some 240 bottles, its a pretty good value—just over $40 per bottle. Not to mention what should amount to a lifetime supply.
A barrel of wine: Think you have to live amid rolling hills to be a winemaker? Not so with Brooklyn Winery. Located right in New York City, this wine bar-slash-winemaking facility allows you to buy wine by the barrel and even make it yourself. You can be involved from crush to bottling, if you like, or simply pick your varietal or blend and hand the reigns over to winemaker Conor McCormack.
The most interactive option includes winemaking classes for you and up to seven of your friends. You get to press the grapes, customize the label, come in for barrel sampling and keep up with your wines progress with regular updates from the winemaker. The best part? The 288 bottles you end up with. The total cost comes out to as little as $20 per bottle. Of course, your sense of pride at having had a hand in turning grape juice into fine wine will be priceless.
A barrel of tequila: If Emmitt Smith can buy his own barrel of reposado, then you should be able to, as well. Tequila Herradura kicked off its Buy-the-Barrel program last year with the NFL star (and Dancing with the Stars winner). The distillery encourages prospective barrel owners to travel to its Hacienda San Jose del Refugio, near Guadalajara in Mexico, where they can select their own double-barrel reposado tequila (that is, 100% blue agave tequila aged for 11 months in oak, then finished in a new toasted oak barrel for an additional month).
The most interactive option includes winemaking classes for you and up to seven of your friends. You get to press the grapes, customize the label, come in for barrel sampling and keep up with your wines progress with regular updates from the winemaker. The best part? The 288 bottles you end up with. The total cost comes out to as little as $20 per bottle. Of course, your sense of pride at having had a hand in turning grape juice into fine wine will be priceless.
Once youve narrowed it down to your favorite, simply sign your barrel and head home knowing that a ton of bourbon is headed your way. The bottles will arrive with a special label that identifies the bourbon as hand-picked and hand-bottled. Youll also get the barrel, which you can use for anything from a side table to a badass planter.
Having a well-stocked bar or wine cellar can be impressive. But its childs play compared to owning an entire barrel of your favorite brand. A number of wineries and distilleries allow you to buy by the barrel—and even give you a say in what goes into the cask. In other words, youll not only get a couple hundred bottles worth of booze, youll also get to brag about pouring your own “special blend” — and maybe even give a couple away as gifts. Talk about a cool wedding party favor. Grooms, are you listening? Heres how you can buy whiskey, tequila and wine by the barrel.
A barrel of wine: Think you have to live amid rolling hills to be a winemaker? Not so with Brooklyn Winery. Located right in New York City, this wine bar-slash-winemaking facility allows you to buy wine by the barrel and even make it yourself. You can be involved from crush to bottling, if you like, or simply pick your varietal or blend and hand the reigns over to winemaker Conor McCormack.
St Josef’s Winery is one of Oregon’s Wine Pioneers. Planted in 1978 with our first legal vintage in 1983 we grow and make fine wines in the Willamette Valley. Known for producing our own estate fruit for food-friendly wines that please the pallet. We manage our estate with sustainable practices without the use of irrigation, harsh chemicals or pesticides.
We Bought an ENTIRE Barrel of Bourbon
FAQ
Can you buy a whole barrel of wine?
How much does a wine barrel cost?
How many bottles of wine can you get from a barrel?
Do they store wine in barrels?
Should you buy wine by the barrel?
A number of wineries and distilleries allow you to buy by the barrel —and even give you a say in what goes into the cask. In other words, you’ll not only get a couple hundred bottles worth of booze, you’ll also get to brag about pouring your own “special blend” — and maybe even give a couple away as gifts. Talk about a cool wedding party favor.
What is considered moderate consumption of wine?
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers an acceptable level of consumption three standard doses of 120 ml of wine per week for men and two for women.
How long should a barrel of wine last?
The late Byron Burch, my one-time business partner in The Beverage People home winemaking store, always advised a rule of thumb to avoid over-oaking with a new barrel: Store the wine about one week per gallon (4 L) of capacity. Naturally, as seen from Margalit’s figures, that time may need to be extended in repeat uses.
Where can you taste wine from a barrel?
Bordeaux is by far the most popular destination for tasting wine from the barrel because some of the top producers in the area participate in En Primeur week events in the spring. These wineries rely heavily on futures purchases, and encourage collectors to sample their wines early.