Rejuvenated ex bourbon barrels

[Bsbc]

Hi all, My cooper has given me 2 options for filling my first batch of rum. The rum is a slow wild fermented  molasses based rum with a heavy profile and wide cuts.

My options are 3rd to 4th fill ex whiskey barrels as is or have them re shaven and re charred?

He has assured me the rejuvenated casks would not over power the rum flavour, but he mainly deals in wine casks. As I would like the first batch to have a nice age statement, around the 10 to 12 years I’m not sure on the choice.

Any advice or Information would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[JustAndy]

If they were originally bourbon casks, what were fills 2, 3, and 4? What is was and how long it was in there will have a big impact on what the barrels have to offer. In Scotland, 3rd and 4th fill ex-bourbon will still be very pale and have pretty slight oak character at 10 years. Rejuvenated casks will give more character, but depending on who and is doing them and how they can be very smoky or inconsistent. I've used shaved and recharred wine casks for some stuff, and they give a pretty intense character which can be nice. If you plan to age them 10 years, you can always start them in something active and transfer them to something inactive later.    

[Bsbc]

Hi JustAndy thanks for the reply.

All the info the cooper has is they come from a whiskey distillery in South Africa where they spent about 10ish years.

My 2 concern with rejuvenated casks is I don’t want my rum tasting like a whiskey and the new wood tannins. Would steaming and rinsing the rejuvenated casks with hot water help get ride of new tannins and the smoke? Or am I worrying over nothing? If they smell good?
 

Thanks

[RumBumm]

Hi Bsbc

 

i was just wondering if you know that the cases are white oak or french oak. South Africa tends to have alot of the french oak due to the big wine industry there.

also has anyone ever aged rum in a spent wine barrel? what was the outcome? did the rum have a Port kinda profile?

thank you

[Bsbc]

Hi RumBumm

The cask where 200l bourbon casks, sent to SA used for single malt, then sent down under and re-coopered.

A year on and I think I made a good choice getting them shaved, toasted and recharded. Still very light in colour and some aromatics from the barrel coming into play.

The plan for this years rum is going into 200l casks out of Scotland that started there life off as bourbon barrels and have had a few fills, then into shaved n toasted French oak red wine casks till there ready to dump.

if you are using ex wine barrels I’d have them re-coopered ASAP after the wine Is dumped to avoid sulfuring them. They don’t take long to go bad, once they start to turn vinegar forget about em.