Description
Essencia Bourbon Barrel Chunks 500g come from genuine, freshly emptied Kentucky bourbon barrels made from American white oak. These wet, bourbon-soaked barrel chunks provide a fast way to add authentic bourbon and charred oak character to homemade spirits.
The carefully selected barrels have previously aged bourbon for approximately 4–10 years in Kentucky, USA. Essencia’s chunking process retains the charred interior while opening up the bourbon-soaked oak. As a result, your spirit comes into contact with a large surface area of seasoned barrel wood.
Unlike dry oak staves or chips, Essencia Bourbon Barrel Chunks retain character from the bourbon previously aged in the barrels. Therefore, they can add both bourbon flavour and genuine barrel character without requiring additional flavouring.
You can use the chunks with neutral spirit, vodka, bourbon, whiskey and even beer. The amount of oak and soaking time will influence the finished result. Using more chunks can introduce more original barrel flavour quickly, while longer soaking develops a stronger oak character.
First Soaking
Add 2.5 litres of alcohol to 500g of Essencia Bourbon Barrel Chunks.
Cover and soak for up to 7 days. Begin testing daily after 4 days. Once you achieve your preferred flavour, drain and filter the spirit.
Character: High flavour, dark colour and low oak.
Use for: Drinking or blending.
Second Soaking
Add a further 2.3 litres of alcohol to the used Essencia Bourbon Barrel Chunks.
Cover and soak for up to 19 days. Begin testing daily after 10 days. Then drain and filter when you achieve your preferred flavour.
Character: Medium flavour, medium colour and medium oak.
Use for: Drinking or blending.
Third Soaking
Add a further 2.3 litres of alcohol to the used Essencia Bourbon Barrel Chunks.
Cover and soak for approximately 5–6 weeks.
Character: Low flavour, light colour and heavy oak.
Use for: Blending or combining with a suitable bourbon-style spirit flavouring if desired.
Draining
Place the barrel chunks in a fine straining bag while soaking. This makes draining easier and reduces the amount of sediment carried into the filtering stage.
After draining the chunks, allow the sediment to settle for a few hours before filtering. This helps prevent sediment from clogging the filter and slowing the process.
Filtering
Use coffee filter paper in a funnel. Alternatively, place two cotton wool balls into the neck of a large funnel.
Allow the spirit to drip slowly through the filter. For clearer results, avoid disturbing the sediment during filtering.
Testing
Soaking times are a guide because individual tastes vary. Therefore, test your spirit regularly during the first two soakings.
Without disturbing the sediment, use a syringe to draw off approximately 15ml for each test. Taste the sample to monitor changes in flavour, colour and oak character.
Once you achieve your preferred result, drain and filter the spirit.
Blending
Each soaking produces a different balance of bourbon flavour, colour and oak character. Consequently, you can combine the results from different soakings to create your preferred blend.
Use a syringe or measuring tool, a glass and some notes to experiment with different proportions. Recording your favourite combinations also makes it easier to recreate them later.
Net Weight: 500g
Explore our range of Oak Chips and Chunks for more ways to add oak character to your homemade spirits.
