Let's hear your tried and true aging techniques!

[Doctor Dunder]

Aging is one of the most variable and personally daunting steps of the spirit making process! There are so many factors, and it can be difficult to keep record of what works well. Would love to hear about any best practices and techniques that have consistently worked for you. Below are some questions I'm curious about. This is in the context of rum, but feel free to share with any other spirits.

-Container: Are you using glass, steel, a small cask and what size is your container? At my current scale I age in 1 gallon glass jars. I've heard small casks tend to over-oak as the surface area to volume ratio is significantly higher than a 55 gal barrel but want to know if this is noticeable.

-ABV: What's your preferred "cask" strength? Reading about distilleries, it can be such a wide range, from 75% down to 55%. I know the higher the ABV the more it'll extract out of the oak, but sometimes you get more subtle flavors at a lower ABV. I typically go on the higher side after a spirit run, around 70%.

-Ventilation: Do you let your container "breathe" in some way? I've heard people open up their jars ever week or so, if you do this have you felt like its made a difference?

-Wood: Are you using cubes, stave, spirals? How much wood are you using? And do you have a preference on wood type or char level? I typically use small white American oak cubes char level 3, and will add about 20 cubes to about a gallon of spirit.

-Time: How long do you typically age? I've heard a spirit can go in cycles as it ages; it can taste good, then a couple months later can taste worse, only to taste amazing after more time. Any stories or best practices you have to get maximum flavor without over-aging?

-Conditions: Do you regulate temperature/humidty, or do you expose it to the elements? I current age in my garage in Texas, so can get pretty warm!

-Other: Any other tips or things that have worked for you!