Thousand Oaks Barrel Co. 1 Liter Whiskey Barrel Dispenser with Chalkboard Front - Oak Barrels for Aging Whiskey, Cocktails, Tequila - Bourbon Barrel Home Bar Decor - 1L Mini Whiskey Barrels

I was honestly a little worried about ordering this items after reading reviews but thought I would give it a try.I even purchased from another seller some barrel wax to seal it if it wouldn’t seal correctly.When I received the barrel I first read the directions. And if you know a engineer we never do that.First thing I noticed was what they tell you to do here on there amazon page and what peoplewere complaining about and are doing don’t match the directions the barrel comes with.Does the barrel leak when you fill it with water the first time, absolutely.The barrel needs to seal its self and the barrel needs to soak up the water into the barrel walls which is a lot better then your booze.The first 24 hours it leaked around a teaspoon and I filled it back up with just over 1 1/2 oz of water.At 48 hours it was still leaking a little but not as much around 1/4 teaspoon spot under the barrel.Refilled the barrel with water adding just over 1.5 oz.Now on 72 hour mark, it’s still leaks or was and it seemed sealed the bottom is mostly dry. Had a water spot the size of a pea under it.Added 1/2oz of water and closed it back up.Day 4 and 5 no leaks, just added a little water on day 4 to make sure it was 100% full.Day 6, I empty the barrel of water out and let drain for an hour and then filled it with my trial run booze.It’s now been a week with no leaks, I can already can tell the liquor inside is already changing and am looking forward to checking it each week.So this reviews is for Engineers and those that don’t follow directions … LOLThe directions say to fill with water and let seat for 4-5 days to fully seal your barrel NOT 4-6 hours or over night or 24 hours.Also the barrel soaked up almost 4 oz of water over 4 days. Be sure to keep it filled so your booze isn’t what’s being soaked up.Good Luck and Cheers!

This recent purchase had one damaged part - the bung cork. The wrapping around it was damaged so it doesn't seal well. Don't think I should have to pay for a replacement.The barrel itself is not damaged and required a little sealing wax to plug a small leak but this is to be expected. Overall, quality of barrel is good as well as the spigot. From my previous purchase the aging of spirits turned out quite nice with good flavor.Update: Seller responded within 24 hrs to a part replacement aka new bunghole plug. Barrel is good quality for size and ages/flavors spirits well.

Bought 2 of these they are working great. Valve leaks on one of them. The 2L barrel however is leaking like a sieve!

Leaky barrel. Leaking from under bands after 2 weeks of soaking and heavy use of barrel wax. Spigot was also defective. Leaky barrel + broken spigot = lost product.. very dissapointed with this one..

I was very skeptical at first based off some of the negative reviews I was reading. My biggest concern was the spigot leaking. I will say this, I used a rubber mallet and softly hit the spigot in until it was completely flush. I then used very warm water and let it do its thing for 3 days to cure the barrel and tighten up any leaky areas.At the end of those three days I emptied the water and replaced with some good old fashioned white lightening. It’s been aging for exactly one month today and I will say, it has a very nice taste already and a good blonde color. I feel like 3 months aging in this barrel should do the trick.Im very pleased with this purchase and I will be buying another one of these in the near future. This barrel is made with quality craftsmanship! The black chalkboard label on the face of the Barrel is a very nice touch!If you are concerned about this barrel, don’t be. Just follow the directions for the curing process and you won’t have any issues at all.

I love this guy. I bought the 2 liter one and followed the instructions for prepping it with water. Let it sit for about a week. The first couple of days a had a minimal amount of leakage (enough to dampen a paper towel, but not soak it), but after that nothing.I first tried some Bullit Rye (1.75L). The size of the barrel is deceptive, as I thought "no way is this all going to fit", but it did. After about 10 days, the taste was noticeably oakier. Not sure how much more flavor it would add if aged longer, as it only made it to about day 14.Trying some Old Crow (about $20 around here for 1.75L), so curious to see what this can do for some cheaper whiskey. Will update when I've tried it.

This is a decent barrel for a starter to help you learn and determine if it is something you want to continue doing. I cleaned mine out properly and submitted it to a 2-week water soak. It still has a small but pretty consistent leak from behind the front barrel ring near the spigot.I tried sealing it with wax but have not been able to fully stop it from leaking.I am happy with the flavor it gives to the whiskeys I've made so far. I am still learning but would rather not have my product leaking out all the time.

Almost boiling water, sat overnight and not one leak. Tap spigot firm. It's not coming out so get it straight. First run of habanero garlic sauce 3 days in.