Aging Barrels Provide Fun, Inspiration, and Tradition

Deep South Barrels began out of a love for the tradition of barrel-aging spirits – so it thrills us when we see fans and customers that have caught on to the fun for themselves! Dallas native Troy Farmer is one such fan, who has been crafting signature spirits with his 2L barrel for about a year.

Crown and Coke

“I found out about Deep South Barrels through a friend of mine, who bought his barrel at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo,” Troy says. “I thought they looked cool, but it was the part about turning cheap liquor into top-shelf versions of themselves that really got me interested. I’m a big Crown fan, and I thought I would give it a shot.” Troy purchased a 2L blank barrel to start with, and was seriously impressed with the results.

“I let the Crown age for a couple weeks, and tested it once every week. It was cool how you could taste the gradual aging of the beverage. At three weeks, it was perfect. Literally the smoothest Crown I had ever tasted.” Family and friends quickly caught on to why Troy’s parties seemed to feature higher-quality liquor, and now, he says he has to hide the barrel from family. “I need to buy a second barrel and have it engraved,” he says. “The first barrel can be just for me, and the second one for friends!”

Troy’s advice for first-time barrel agers is to make sure to follow the instructions for curing. “I almost forgot to look at the directions, I was so excited to get started aging. But it’s a really important step, and don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions about what to do.”

Great advice, Troy! If you have a DSB story, recipe, or experience to share, we want to hear it! Email us at [email protected] for a chance to see your feature up on our blog.