nice research on the use of small barrels to accelerate barrel aging:
"These smaller barrels provide more rapid extraction and to some extent
more rapid oxidation and maturation. While a good deal of research
has addressed the topics of extractive concentrations and reactions
in the traditional industry, very little information is available on reduced
volume barrels."
Jeffery JDE, Berglund KA. Extraction of Wood Constituents from Non-Conventional, Small Whiskey Barrels. J Food Processing & Beverages.
2016;4(1): 7.
Extraction of Wood Constituents from Small Whiskey Barrels.pdf