Cincinnati’s Custom Bourbon Barrel Boom

Photograph courtesy of New Riff Distilling

G iven that Kentucky forms a third of the tri-state, it’s fair to say that bourbon is in our blood. Our long love affair with the smooth, smoky drink seems to have deepened recently, leading to interesting additions to our local drinking scene, especially south of the river. One of the latest bourbon trends to emerge here is the private barrel program, which gives customers a more active role in the selection and bottling processes.

As New Riff Distilling’s head single barrel ambassador, Creola Dickerson’s job is to help buyers select the right barrel of bourbon or rye. “Right,” of course, is subjective, which is why the private barrel experience always involves a trip to the cavernous, chandelier-lit tasting room. Dickerson pulls five barrels from the rickhouse (the space where barrels of bourbon are stored and aged) so perspective buyers can sample a range of flavors. With single-barrel liquors, seemingly small differences—like where the barrel is stored— can create big contrasts in flavor; one barrel might present as smokier, while another lets spicier notes come through. That’s why, in addition to bottles and glasses, Dickerson hands out notebooks for tasting notes.

Photograph courtesy of New Riff Distilling

Each barrel has been aged for at least four years and is ready to be bottled within 30 days after it’s selected. And for those who don’t have around $12,000 to spend on an entire barrel (roughly 216 bottles of bourbon), half and quarter barrels are also available. Whatever quantity one decides to purchase, the experience includes a tour of the facilities and customized bottles, ready for pickup a month later. Up to eight people can attend the tour and tasting, so single barrel selection often becomes a distinctly social process.

Photograph courtesy of New Riff Distilling

Such perks give aficionados a deeper, more personal experience. Bobby Straka, New Riff’s director of marketing, tells me that customers range from individuals to area restaurants like Mita’s, Taglio, and Jeff Ruby’s. Of course, anyone who isn’t quite ready to order bourbon by the crate can always sidle up to the bar at the main distillery in Bellevue and order a glass of smooth, single barrel bourbon.

O.K.I. Bourbon’s barrels are distilled and aged in nearby Lawrenceburg, Indiana, before being sent to Bardstown, Kentucky, for distribution. O.K.I. distributes in seven states: the three referenced in the name (Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana) as well as Illinois, Florida, Texas, and, most recently, Missouri.

The brand has sold more than 400 single barrels since the program’s inception in 2020. Its private barrels are available to individuals and businesses, but the majority of its barrels are sold to bourbon clubs, groups of enthusiasts who pool their money for premium bourbon and bond over glasses of their most recent purchases. O.K.I. usually sends a shipment of three fresh samples to buyers in one of its distribution states. Since these samples go to some of the country’s most zealous bourbon lovers, co-owner Chad Brizendine and his team pull a distinct and focused trio of untapped barrels from its Bardstown warehouse. “Some groups are looking for funky and unique barrels while others are looking for highest proof or age,” he notes.

Photograph by Chris Von Holle

Luckily, O.K.I. has a wide range of barrel ages to work with. Most bourbons fall in the six- to seven-year range, but some have been aging in the company’s charred oak barrels for 11 years or more. The bottles (around 200 for an average barrel) get custom labels featuring the buyer’s name and picture. After bottling, the barrels themselves are donated, usually to Braxton Brewing, which recently introduced its own private barrel program.

Braxton has been barrel-aging beers since it opened in 2015. On the first Saturday in December, the brewery hosts a massive block party to celebrate the release of its barrel-aged beers, what Braxton calls “Dark Charge Day.” Such immersive, social experiences inspired the development of its private barrel program. “We’ve always been really interested in creating experiences around our products,” says cofounder and CEO Jake Rouse. “Being in Kentucky, we’ve been inspired by the experiential nature of the bourbon industry.”

Photograph by Braxton Brewing Co.

Naturally, the experience starts with a tasting. Parties of up to eight people head to the Braxton Barrel House in Ft. Mitchell to do a blind taste test of four different beer barrels. Participants rate each beer and reach an ideal flavor profile through consensus. Unlike bourbon, which gets nearly all of its color and flavor from the barrel, barrel-aged beer can benefit from additives (known in the industry as “adjuncts”) like cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, and vanilla. The adjuncts can even be added after the beer has aged, which can take one to three years, opening up countless possibilities for customization and nuance. And yes, you do get to name your beer.

According to Rouse, Braxton “unofficially” introduced its private barrel program in 2021 and it’s been picking up steam each year since. Like all private barrel programs, it’s an investment: Single-barrel purchases range between $2,500 and $4,500 per barrel, and each barrel will yield upwards of 200 pints of the frothy stuff. If you have an empty bourbon barrel lying around, Braxton will age your beer in it, as long as the wood is still fresh and wet.

Photograph courtesy of Braxton Brewing Co.

Despite the name, private barrel programs seem especially useful for bringing people together over a mutual affection for some of our region’s most beloved drinks. Which is to say you don’t need an oil tycoon’s wealth to invest in a private barrel of bourbon or beer. Just find a few fellow connoisseurs and schedule a tasting.

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