User feedback: barrelsonline.com

[rubberduck71]

This is not meant to be a bash thread or an endorsement thread. Simply my experience with products purchased from barrelsonline.com

Pros
Reasonable pricing
Reasonable shipping times after order placement
Customized barrel lids are easy to submit for
Site is easy to navigate
A multitude of sizes/styles to choose from

Cons
You kinda get what you pay for quality-wise. 2 of the 5 barrels I've purchased there have developed cracks on the staves. One was catastrophic & I lost everything in it.

Please comment if you have had good/bad/indifferent experiences with these guys.

I'm looking for a decent supplier/suggestions for 3-4L sized barrels all the way up to 19L/5 gal barrels. I'm just a weekend warrior until the kiddos get through college & I can retire. A solera system for those 1 gal barrels may be what I'm targeting. I have 2 badmo's, maybe I need more!

Thanks,
Duck

[Deplorable]

I've not tried them so I cannot speak about their offerings(Barrels Online), but Everyone here seems happy with their Gibbs Brothers barrels, and they make smaller barrels than 5G.
I've got 2 Barrel Mill Barrels, and Ive been happy with them. However, I cant seen to get another one. I was on a waitlist for one, and called them back less than 12 hours after they called me to let me know they had one available, I missed the opportunity. Turns out, if you dont pick up the phone and take it, they move to the next name on the list. ( Then why the fuck did you leave a message to call you back?) My next barrel will be a Gibbs Brothers.

[still_stirrin]

RD,

I use these guys: https://midwestbarrelco.com/collections ... oak-barrel#

I have a couple of 5 gallon new barrels from them. Great products and very quick shipment. Notice (look at the shopping list) that they now stock 1 and 2 liter barrels, although the best value is in their larger inventory. If you want chunks ( for glass aging) their chunks are fantastic. I have some just waiting for some specialty products.

No, I’m not a saleman. Just a very happy customer. These guys are great.
ss

[Dougmatt]

RD,

I use these guys: https://midwestbarrelco.com/collections ... oak-barrel#

I have a couple of 5 gallon new barrels from them. Great products and very quick shipment. Notice (look at the shopping list) that they now stock 1 and 2 liter barrels, although the best value is in their larger inventory. If you want chunks ( for glass aging) their chunks are fantastic. I have some just waiting for some specialty products.

No, I’m not a saleman. Just a very happy customer. These guys are great.
ss

+1 on Midwest. I’ve bought a couple from them and they’re good quality. I also like Badmo’s barrels (see HD thread or https://badmotivatorbarrels.com/). I’ve got 4 of them now.

[Ben]

I've ordered small barrels through oakbarrels, 5l and 10l. They wood seems decent quality but they are built pretty light and the bungs don't seal well. I replaced the bungs with whiskey bottle corks and reduced the evaporation quite a bit, but I wouldn't bother reconditioning them... too thin. Compared to the 5 gallon Balcones Barrel I have and the 7 gallon black swan they seem like toys, or conversation pieces.

I saw a larger barrel (20 gallon maybe?) from barrelsonline at another distillers place, it was also built very light. I am also not sure they yard age their stock.

For 4-12L aging I think a Badmo style is a lot better. The 5l over oak/underage and it's hard to keep product in them for more than a couple months due to evaporation and oak impact. They are good for recipe testing though, you can get a pretty good idea of where something is headed.

[jonnys_spirit]

+1 on BadMo's and Gibbs. Great experiences and products with both. I have a 5g Gibbs which I'll absolutely augment with another at some point to enhance my house bourbon solera. BadMo's are absolutely badass and approximately the same price as a 5g Gibbs for 3x BadMo's (same/similar volume).

Gibbs and BadMo's both have thick wood. With one gibbs and four BadMo's = zero leaks. I also have a 5g Vadai wine barrel made of hungarian which is also very thick staves and high quality.

A few years ago I ordered a 10l barrel off amazon for about $100. STaves were very thin. Lots of loss. I emptied it and it dried up. I would have used the staved but burned them up since I already have tons of different oak from used large american oak barrel staves and heads from different distilleries- enough to last me "forever"... That supply plus plenty apple, plum, cherry, and peach fruitwood is more than enough but I may end up getting some maple and others just for fun..

You can fill a BadMo on a single spirit run batch with extra for top up and three of them averages out the wood contribution in a solera for ongoing 5g capacity. Once they're neutral you can use fresh oak in glass and still run through the BadMo micro-oxidation and angels share contributions.

For me it's a lot of work to fill a five gallon barrel and you'll want to refill it too.

I think adding some of that into your aging process definitely elevates the quality without question.... I've been careful about purchasing too much barrel storage so I don't have to keep them all full but as I keep building up stock I may go with more BadMo's too at a certain point..

My $0.02!

Cheers,
jonny

[Twisted Brick]

Good heads up, rubberduck71. Like the list of distilling vendors not welcome on HD, this kind of feedback helps everyone make informed purchase decisions. I had read a number of uncomplimentary reviews of barrelsonline.com years ago. According to this review , barrelsonline boasts a 2.5 out of 5 rating and positive ratings posted over the last 12 months is listed as 25%.

I was on a waitlist for one, and called them back less than 12 hours after they called me to let me know they had one available, I missed the opportunity. Turns out, if you dont pick up the phone and take it, they move to the next name on the list. ( Then why the fuck did you leave a message to call you back?) My next barrel will be a Gibbs Brothers.

I contacted Barrel Mill Dec 13 of 2021 and was told they were sold out through 2023. Following Deplorable's advice I add my name to the waitlist on the day after he did in April. In October I called for status and no dice. After reading of Deplorable's recount of their (selective waitlist) Service model I gave up and last week ordered a 5gal from Gibbs over the phone. The order process took 5min and I was told it would ship in a week.