Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
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Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
Anyone have luck with the black swan honeycomb barrel alternative? Thus far, it's turned my great tasting white bourbon hearts into kinda half assed tasting stuff I'm almost considering redistilling. It has an oak flavor, but this experimental half gallon went from delicious sweet clean white dog to a dull tea colored pale amber in a couple weeks, what's worse is the flavor. It is a dull astringent flavor, that has some oak flavor in it, but mostly just a shitty lame sour taste I'm really unhappy with. This is nowhere even close to the flavor I get from ANY sized barrel, even the toy 2l sized barrels. For the benefit of the doubt I will keep aging it the full six weeks and beyond, airing it out and shaking it daily to introduce oxygen to the product. I will keep everyone updated and hope this turns around at some point because what I'm tasting isn't oak at all, and I really like Heidi and the black swan team and love their barrels and hope this is as viable of a product for us hobbyists as their barrels are not easy to come by (14month wait list).
To be specific, I bought the BS honeycomb barrel alternative in oak which is medium toasted, and put the recommended 3in per gallon into my product, (1.5in for .5g). I hope this is really just a temporary phase that ages out into the product I was hoping for. Updates to come.
-OM
To be specific, I bought the BS honeycomb barrel alternative in oak which is medium toasted, and put the recommended 3in per gallon into my product, (1.5in for .5g). I hope this is really just a temporary phase that ages out into the product I was hoping for. Updates to come.
-OM
_OMEGA_
- ga flatwoods
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Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
TI have BS barrels used bouvht from woodenville. When they arrived some of the staves were already cracked. They do not lend the flavors of which you speak but do oak very quickly. First go around I put up 16 gallons and reaped ten for my efforts. It was decent but damn what a loss! Cant say I have your problems but I am sure there are better barrels out there.
Ga Flatwoods
Ga Flatwoods
Last edited by ga flatwoods on Mon Apr 27, 2015 4:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
Don't get me wrong I love their barrels. It's the HONEYCOMB STICKS not the barrels that end up tasting funny. Maybe I'm just impatient? Maybe they accidentally sent something other than oak out
_OMEGA_
Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
Two years ago at the National ADI conference in Seattle they had the honeycomb on display at a vendor booth showing the results of coloring with the sticks. Unfortunately they didn't offer tastings so the color was good but can't speak to the flavor results. I hope others that have tried it speak up because I liked the theory behind the design.
- ga flatwoods
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Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
Since my last post I developed a leak in my barrel! I mentioned the cracked staves above. Only used the barrel twice before. Woodenville told me that the barrels developed cracks but didnt leak- a true statement until I walked into the garage wondering what I smelt and why. They would not exchange the barrels I even called BlackSwan. A Cornelius keg with an alternately drilled and staggered hole stave is much saferand effective. Here are some pics for you:
- Attachments
The hardest item to add to a bottle of shine is patience!
I am still kicking.
Ga Flatwoods
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Ga Flatwoods
Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
I was not impressed with Black Swan at the ADI conference. Only thing they wanted to talk about was their honeycomb. I asked about barrels and they said they've go no plans to take on barrel customers.
Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
ga...I had a barrel do what you pictured. I emptied it and coated the outside with bees wax...it has held through two uses.
Now as I started to prep the next one, (thanks to some wise advise) I coated the outside staves (not top or bottom) with coconut oil and have had no splits.
Now as I started to prep the next one, (thanks to some wise advise) I coated the outside staves (not top or bottom) with coconut oil and have had no splits.
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- ranger_ric
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Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
So Mr Flatwoods you are thinking thumbs down on Black Swan?
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Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
Alright friends how about a show and tell on white oak and red oak,......and then you'll see why I dont recommend honeycombed wood, or lots of end grain for that matter (oak chips) or even oak cubes.
One easy way to tell red oak heartwood from white oak heartwood is to look at a cross section of the pores. Notice the empty canals or pores in red oak, and how the pores are filled with a sticky sap of sorts in white oak. Those are called tyloses. Look at the pics below. Which is precisely why white oak makes good barrel stock. White oak has low porosity because of that stuff sealing the pores, and that sticky stuff also forms a sealant when you jam the staves together to make a barrel.
Ok what the hell does this have to do with honeycombed wood Jimbo....
This honeycombed wood exposes a ton of end grain. In a sense it maximizes end grain, very much unlike how a barrel is made. And so also exposes to your alcohol a ton of this white oak natural goo that fills the pores.
I dont know about you but Ill pass on maximizing that goo in my drink. From my experience, quality of drink is best with barrels, then sticks, then cubes, then oak chips, in order from best to worst. Ive used them all, and there you have my opinion on this matter.
Jimbo
Red Oak White Oak
One easy way to tell red oak heartwood from white oak heartwood is to look at a cross section of the pores. Notice the empty canals or pores in red oak, and how the pores are filled with a sticky sap of sorts in white oak. Those are called tyloses. Look at the pics below. Which is precisely why white oak makes good barrel stock. White oak has low porosity because of that stuff sealing the pores, and that sticky stuff also forms a sealant when you jam the staves together to make a barrel.
Ok what the hell does this have to do with honeycombed wood Jimbo....
This honeycombed wood exposes a ton of end grain. In a sense it maximizes end grain, very much unlike how a barrel is made. And so also exposes to your alcohol a ton of this white oak natural goo that fills the pores.
I dont know about you but Ill pass on maximizing that goo in my drink. From my experience, quality of drink is best with barrels, then sticks, then cubes, then oak chips, in order from best to worst. Ive used them all, and there you have my opinion on this matter.
Jimbo
Red Oak White Oak
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Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
Bravo Jimbo!
Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
Jimbo, I can back up your statement here... Here's the goo at the top of my honeycombed barrel... As you can see, there's plenty of resin around the edge of the bung that has collected in a ring. I'm wondering if the cork in the glass one is what's giving that nasty flavor.
_OMEGA_
Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
I want to clarify that my honeycomb barrels are coming along great, it's just the honeycomb sticks that aren't doing so well in the 1/2 gallon glass jug full of bourbon hearts. I'm wondering if the cork I used to seal the jug is effecting the flavor of the product. Anyone ever have the cork effect flavor of product?
_OMEGA_
Re: Black swan honeycomb barrel alternative
Anyone get a bitter, astringent product from the barrel in a short time? Really high tannins??
_OMEGA_