I purchased a 1.5 gallon new oak barrel over a year ago. The first fill I put in the cask was my own Manhattan blend, that was 2:1 Bulleit Rye and Martin and Rossi Sweet Vermouth and Angostura bitters. After sitting in the barrel for about 4 months, I emptied it out and had my own “Barrel Aged Manhattan.” The mix picked up a lot of  oak notes, but it was still pretty good. For the next fill of the barrel I used three bottles of Speyburn Bradan Orach. They were in the barrel for another four months and just pulled out a few weeks ago. As you can see from the picture below, the bottle on the right drastically changed in color and had a strong spice taste on the palate. I invite you all to try some in the near future and we can discuss in more detail!  Submitted by Matt K.