When selecting barrels for private bottling, the process will vary based on the distillery, but in general you'll embark on a private tour of the facilities with a veteran guide, including a stop in the warehouses where the selection process takes place. Most distilleries give you the opportunity to select from three different barrels, while others will let you try as many as you want (or can stand!). Here we sampled bourbon whiskey right out of the cask, un-cut at barrel proof.

  

We individually blind sampled the different casks, and wrote down our favorite. Selecting our favorite was a unanimous decision, as we all preferred the oldest and lowest proof whiskey in the bunch. After selection, the barrels are sealed up and scheduled for bottling where they will be branded with our very own label denoting our selection. Bottles are limited and can only be found at our PlumpJack retail locations or Balboa San Francisco.