Whether it is fine dining, a picnic trip, or an exquisite location, fine wine or a well-seasoned whiskey can make a big difference when it comes to hitting that sweet spot. All of this is subject to the amount of time that wine/whiskey spends in its barrel.
Since age is directly proportional to the experience, you are likely to have while drinking it.
How Long Do Whiskey Barrel Planters Last?
A bourbon barrel spends most of its life-giving that sweet flavor to the whiskey. Although they can last up to 60 years, these barrels are bound to be used only once for distilling bourbon in the United States.
1. Why Do We Use Barrels?
One may ask, “How long do whiskey barrel planters last”, but to understand this they need to understand the importance of using these barrels in the first place. As Barrel-aging is a key aspect in not only adding aroma, taste, and finish but also decreasing the ethanol content in the alcohol. This may reduce the sharp rubbing taste that you may experience while drinking. On the other hand, it makes transportation easy.
2. Which Plants Are Perfect For These Barrels?
Old whiskey barrels are perfect for adding a vintage look to their surroundings. Any plant that might be tall, spiky or filler plant with long vines to fall on the side of the barrel to cover the edges. Other plant choices might be marigolds, pansies foliage spikes, and many more.
3. Whiskey Barrel Maintenance
The maintenance of these barrels is simple, but care must be taken when it comes to using them again since the left-behind bacteria and enzymes can quickly ruin whatever drink might be placed inside them. To clean the barrel, fill it with a solution of warm water and cleaning tablets. Let it soak for a day before emptying it and rinsing it multiple times. After this fill it with warm water and neutralized the acid to make it completely clean and good for re-use.
4. Barrel Planters Upkeep
Although whiskey barrel planters are supposed to last more than three years, their life expectancy is much greater than that, if you properly maintain them. Drilling drainage holes in the bottom of the barrels to remove the access water that might be left behind can result in rotting the wood and thus reduce its life expectancy. Usually for using these barrels for planting, one must use soil that drains well and does not hold moisture for extended periods. At the same time, keeping the roots alleviated from extended water exposure avoids the killing of plants.
Another important thing that must be kept in mind is that, if these barrels are kept outside for a long time, they might shrink from their original size. This shrinkage can compromise barrels’ waterproofing and structural integrity. They are designed to be kept in cool damp environments to ensure the surface does not dry out and minimize the evaporation from the surface.
5. Drilling Holes in Barrels
Although it is not conclusive that lining the barrels with plastic or any other related material increases their life expectancy. It sure does add some time to their lifetime, but if decided upon coating the barrel with such a layer. Extreme care must be taken in terms of drilling holes directly in the areas where the drainage holes exist on the barrel’s surface. This will ensure the removal of excess water without affecting the quality of the barrel.
6. Painting the Barrels
When the question of “how long do whiskey barrel planters last?” is asked, the first thing that comes to mind is how it might be related to the conditions in which the barrel planter is kept. As painting can be one way of ensuring an indefinite lifetime for the barrel in indoor conditions while it may increase its life expectancy by up to 10 years.
The process however is simple:
- Scratch the surface with sandpaper to ensure good adhesion between the paint and the barrel,
- Select and apply the paint to the rough surface.
This simple process will do wonders when it comes to the maintenance of these barrels.