Canadian Rockies Newbie wants to age in Oak barrels

[Seth Black]

So thanks to the fine lads of this site, I am making a good drinkable spirit. My next phase is to age spirits in American white oak barrels. I have some barrels on order, but I would like to strain the brains of this group so I don't make any silly newbie mistakes. What does a novice need to know about how to age my results? I understand basic char, and how it changes the notes of the final product, and how the surface area vs volume increases the aging effect in small barrels, but what else should I be aware of, and are there any tricks or procedures to tailor the results to certain flavors?