The Balazs drums do appear to be a higher quality, I had zero leakage/seepage with it, a 40L/7.9 gallon barrel. The Gibbs barrel, a 10 gallon barrel, had some seepage but not to the point of any drips.
One thing I have learned after multiple trials with different barrels is that, before swelling of any new barrel (or old ones that were empty for a while), you have to tighten the hoops. The coopers won't tell you to do that for the new ones, because they feel it brings into question their workmanship, but that's what most experienced users of small barrels do.
As the new barrels sit in warehouses, they dry out and gaps develop in the heads and between staves, that swelling alone may not fix. The barrels can't be wrapped airtight because they could grow mold inside that wrapping and that would render the barrel useless, so they inevitably dry and shrink, even when they sit for only a month after they're crafted.
After my 5th barrel had some problems and didn't completely seal after 3 days of swelling, I bought a 5lbs hammer and a 3" masonry chisel that I reshaped to have a slight curve, on a grinder. An older friend with lots of experience advised me to do so, and I trusted his advice.
I emptied the barrel, let it dry for 3 weeks, tightened the hoops with the hammer and chisel about a 1/4"in, and lo and behold, no leaks anymore.
I've done that to every barrel I bought ever since and had no leaks at all, from the get-go.
One other thing I was advised to do is to never keep the small barrels empty and sulfur them before storing for extended periods of time. My friend explained that this method is ok for 55 gal barrels or bigger, but the smaller ones will warp unevenly as they dry out and I may never be able to get them to seal tight again.
For small barrels, a holding solution of SO2 and tartaric acid is the best way of keeping them in shape between batches. I've told this to a few younger winemakers I know and one of them decided to prove me wrong. He lost a couple of 5 gallon Gibbs barrels. You live, you learn, I guess...
yep. About 15 minutes away from where I live. Good Lord. I emailed them and am working out some 5 and 10 Gallon fresh dumped bourbon barrel options. In addition to a local discount, no delivery! WooHoo!
You’re like the only guy around here who’s a 2nd run loyalist. I need to hunt you down and find out for myself. 
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