Personalized Whiskey Oak Barrel – 1 Liter Black Steel Hoops

So I wanted to wait to a few months before I gave a review on the two barrels I purchased. Initial impression I would have given these 5 stars, well built, good finish and was impressed with the engraving. So I went online and followed the process to prepare the barrel, it says room temperature water for 24-48hrs or until the barrel swells enough to stop any leaks. So I gave it 36 hours, I would say it had a few small leaks for the first 12 hours and then for the next 24hrs there were no leaks so I drained the water and added my first round of alcohol. For the the first week no problems, then about a 10days one of the barrels had a very small leak which has come and gone for the last 7weeks(really not to big of a deal). The second barrel though has had a consistent very slow leak for the last 7 weeks that has required me to add alcohol to keep the barrel close to full. This is a problem for me cause I'm really trying to age the alcohol for at least a few months at a time. So I really wanted to give these 5 stars but will have to stick with 3 stars for now, really nice product but not sure if they can be used for long term aging.

Great product and customer service! You have to follow the instructions for prepping the barrel in order to have good results. Also, once the barrel has had fluid in it causing the wood to expand, you want to keep the wood moist by having water in it if you're not aging it or else the wood will crack. Just as a wooden cutting board gets cracks in it when it dries out (avoid that by rubbing a thin layer of cooking oil over it while storing). We used hot water in the barrel first to help the wood expand easier and the few leaks ceased. My husband used a toothpick to place was around a couple places for good measure. Our Bourbon has been aging nicely with no leaks or cracks in the wood. It's a fun hobby and great conversation piece!

These guys are the real deal. I ordered 5 total barrels for my groomsmen and they all have come in great shape and perfect engraving. Still waiting on the 5th due to ordering it today. Sean and Joe are awesome and stand by their word. I noticed price decreased over the weekend and they kindly refunded me the difference from my order. What sets these guys apart is that the liquor actually touches the barrel and they do not use a bladder to hold the liquid. I will be ordering one for myself but in a larger size. The 1liter is smaller than I expected but this is because I personally failed to read the sizing chart. Big thanks to Golden Oak for the perfect groomsmen gifts!!

Delivered quick and looked great. I added water and have let it sit for the past week, but it is still leaking profusely and the black hoops (holding the wood together) have leaked black coloring all over the barrel. The hoops are also bulging so I don’t know how long it will hold up.

These arrived in good time and looked absolutely beautiful, but they have not stood up to actual use. I bought two, both customized. I soaked them both to make sure they were watertight as directed, then tried using them and in short order the bourbon all evaporated out then the wood dried and shrunk to the point that the bands came loose. there are now visible gaps and even if i could get the wood to swell enough to actually seal again it will never look right again. if this were intended to be a display item only then fine , but that is not how they are marketed.

The Golden Oak Barrel company is nothing short of excellent! Never have I worked with a better group of people, ready and willing to help you get started with the fun hobby of oak aging your own brews! My personally engraved one leader golden oak barrel came exactly as it was advertised, beautifully done with amazing craftsmanship! My wife was very surprised and never saw it coming! We love our barrel and can't wait to order more...They're addicting! Thank you Golden Oak for great communications via email and quick responses, you're the best!

The barrels were pretty solid and well made. I am currently curing them, they have well made instructions and tutorials they send with the barrels. There was some leaking but after a about an hour three of them stopped and about two days later the other two stopped leaking also.I had contacted Golden Oaks about acquiring five of the 2-liter barrels for my wedding party. Joe had responded promptly and tracked down five barrels for me. He also generated a preview of what the barrels would look like, as each of them were unique for each member of the wedding party. Amazing customer service! Thanks for getting those done so quickly and accurately!

I wanted to let you know how AWESOME I think your product is. I've shown a lot of my friends and they all are very impressed. And I can speak to the sturdiness of the barrel, it works great. It needed 2 days for it to completely stop leaking from the spigot (only about 5-6 drops after the first day but it is completely leak free now) I can't wait to see the impact it has on the flavor and smoothness of the whiskey. Thanks again, I'll be ordering more barrels in the coming year.And your customer service and response times were outstanding. Everything answered in minutes to hours - very much appreciated.