How Deer Jimmy’s® Prepares the Barrels Before Chipping
Not All Oak Is Created Equal
When you age your spirit at home, the quality of the wood is everything. It’s not just a flavor source — it’s the soul of your batch. That’s why at Deer Jimmy’s®, we don’t use random scrap oak. We use real, once-filled spirit barrels from world-class distilleries. But we don’t stop there. Before those barrels become chips, they go through a process — one that strips away what you don’t want and preserves exactly what you do.
First: Sourcing the Right Barrels
It starts with selection. Every barrel we use has aged something real — whisky, rum, cognac, calvados, brandy, gin. No artificial flavoring. No replicas. Just authentic, once-used casks. We look for barrels with character — ones that still carry the aroma and residue of their original spirit. These aren’t leftovers. They’re chosen for their story.
Then: Stripping It Down — Precisely
Once the barrels arrive, we don’t just smash them into chips. First, we clean off the outer layers using high-pressure sandblasting. This removes the environmental buildup — soot, stains, outer char — and gets us closer to the heartwood. The part that mattered during the original aging. What we’re after is clean, active oak — wood that still has something to give.
Next: Sanding and Sizing
After sandblasting, the staves are carefully sanded by hand to remove splinters and soften the edges. Then we chip them down to size — not too fine, not too chunky. Our chips are calibrated for balance: enough surface area to extract flavor, but large enough to avoid overpowering or over-oaking too quickly. Every batch is triple-sifted. Only the best cuts make it into your bottle.
What You Get: Pure, Clean Character
The result? Barrel chips that carry only what matters: the essence of the original spirit and the richness of real oak — without the noise. No additives. No shortcuts. Just the cleanest possible foundation for your DIY legend. Because when you take aging into your own hands, the least we can do is give you wood that’s worthy of the job.
