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Balazs Hungarian Oak Barrel | Mild Toast | 20L | 5.28 gal

Balazs Hungarian Oak Barrel | Mild Toast | 20L | 5.28 gal

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Description

  • Made from high-quality Slavonian oak sustainably sourced from Hungarian forests
  • Superior in long term storage due to the tight grain and slow release of phenolic compounds
  • Equivalent or superior quality compared to French Oak barrels at a much more affordable cost
  • Zinc-plated steel barrel hoops for corrosion resistance
  • Coopered by the world-renowned Balazs Nagy

Balazs barrels is a long-trusted brand of Hungarian oak barrels coopered by the famous Balazs Nagy.  These barrels are equal or better in quality to French Oak barrels but available at a fraction of the cost of their more famous counterparts. Renowned for respecting fruit, Hungarian barrels offer winemakers a great option to impact the mouthfeel, structure and flavor of wine without stepping on the terroir of your grapes. 

Due to the tight grain and slow release of phenolic compounds, you can feel secure storing your wine in Hungarian barrels longer than you can with other barrels. The slow process of micro oxygenation rounds the wine while various compounds in the wood such hemicellulose, lipids, and lignins are slowly integrated. 

As most barrel makers know, the best source of wood for wine barrels is the oak grown in the territory of old-time Hungary, known as Slavonian oak. This rare, high-quality oak can be found in the Zemplén Mountains and in the Tokaj oak woods. The specific type of oak in those territories, and what is used in Balazs barrels, is the Quercus Petrea. This oak is characterised by a dense, hard structure combined with extra flavor. Forestry workers look after these forests with considerable expertise, and the forest density ratio in Hungary is 20–24%, with selective logging taking place between November and April. Once the wood is sourced, it is air dried and aged for 24-28 months before cooperage.

Balázs Barrels is establishing a direct cooperation with the forestry workers, ensuring the continuous supply of the best quality oak, allowing them to source and work with the most excellent oak for wine barrel manufacturing from the foremost Hungarian forests.

  • 20 L (5.28 gal)
  • Height - 16.92"
  • Head Diameter - 10.23"
  • Abdomen Diameter - 12.79"
  • Stave Thickness - 0.66 - 0.86"
  • Bung Hole - 26 mm
  • Empty Weight - 17.6 lbs
  • Mild Toast
  • Barrel hoops made from zinc-plated steel for corrosion resistance
  • Rack included

 

 

 
Community Q&A

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Browse 1 question Browse 1 question and 4 answers
Why did you choose this?
MoreFlavor Store
Want to take wine making to next level
Andrew B on Mar 2, 2023
want oak taste and barrel evaporation
Darrell Bateman on Dec 17, 2022
Want to take wine making to next level
Andrew B on Mar 2, 2023
I have been making wine the 30 years and I
Valued C on Feb 23, 2023
want oak taste and barrel evaporation
Darrell Bateman on Dec 17, 2022
Have had similar size in the past
Zack L on May 3, 2022
I have used hungarian oak in the past and it made a better wine.
Ronald N on Jul 24, 2021
good price and free shipping
Ted L on Jul 20, 2021
I have been making wine the 30 years and I
Valued C on Feb 23, 2023
Have had similar size in the past
Zack L on May 3, 2022
Is the 20L capacity accurate? I know barrels can run up to 10% larger capacity sometimes.
Andrew Ensing on Dec 15, 2021
BEST ANSWER: These are handcrafted barrels using rustic materials so we should expect some variation. I don't know if 10% is correct, but my barrel capacity was greater than 20L. Ten percent of the 20L barrel would be two liters or approximately 1/2 gallon. This seems about right to me.
Reviews

4.3 / 5.0
7 Reviews
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
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1 Star
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Rated 5 out of 5
Great little barrel - tightened right up!
Bought one of these and showed up next day! Was surprised it came with stand, which was nice. Gotta admit, was a bit concerned when one of the end rungs popped off as I opened the package, but hammered in back into place and it felt solid. On soaking this barrel, it sealed up very tight with minimal leakage. Was impressed, sign of a well made barrel if you aren't trying to soak it for a day or more while it leaks all over the ground. Great little barrel. Just hope that some day these guys give choices like cherry or chestnut barrels for vinegar making.
July 24, 2023
Rated 3 out of 5
Solid Barrel at a Good
Clearly a bit of a leaking issue in spots on the front, but overall been a solid barrel.
March 11, 2023
Purchased
1 year ago
Rated 4 out of 5
Great barrel, wish there was more toast/chat options.
Ordered and received the barrel within 4 days, was very pleased with the look of the barrel, only reason for 4 star rating is that I wasn’t able to purchase the barrel
With anything but a mild toast, I’m using for whiskey storage and needed a charred barrel. Not a big deal, I just removed the hoops of the barrel and charred it myself with a torch. Was worried about putting it back together for the first time, but I just took my time and made sure the hoops were tight. Filled with hot water and found no leaks whatsoever over the weekend. Would by again!
May 16, 2022
Purchased
1 year ago
Rated 5 out of 5
Great Barrel
Great barrel and very tight. Sat dry four months and no leaks when filled.
December 29, 2021
Purchased
over 2 years ago
Rated 5 out of 5
No leaks of note after a few hours of water filling
August 7, 2021
Purchased
over 2 years ago
Rated 4 out of 5
Small bung hole
Barrel is nicely made and very tight. Agree with previous reviewers about the bung hole size being too small and difficult to find stoppers for. Also question how to sanitize the barrel given the bung hole is too small to suspend a sulfur burner?
December 26, 2020
Purchased
over 3 years ago
Rated 4 out of 5
Balazs Oak Barrel
I recieved a Balazs oak barrel a couple of weeks ago and I it is very nice. It is sound and has no leaks. There is one problem, though--the hole is small and a #5 stopper fits it but I don't have one on hand and I don't think your website sells one that size (but I might be wrong). I called your customer service and I was told the the small silicone breathable bung would fit but it came today and it is too big and won't work. I think that this is a new product for you and I wanted to let you know so you might address having the holes drilled larger or stocking a bung that is the right size. I took a round file to mine and have been able to get a #6 stopper in but the wood is very hard and it took a long time to make it a tiny bit bigger.
August 17, 2020
Purchased
over 3 years ago
Response from MoreFlavor
Thank you so much for your feedback about this new product. We really appreciate the honesty and value great feedback like this as it helps us improve our products. Cheers!
August 17, 2020
Malcolm lieban