Angel Over A Barrel: Chalybeate Man Constructs 30 Foot Christmas Tree Out of Bourbon Barrels

Free Drive-Thru Area To The Public

The newly constructed 30-foot bourbon barrel Christmas tree in Chalybeate.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
As the holiday season begins around the area, it will be difficult to drive through Chalybeate at night without seeing the community's newest attraction; a 30 foot Christmas tree, constructed by stacking barrels in a pyramid shape.

Local resident Cody Vincent, along with his brother, Jon, has been buying and selling bourbon barrels for decoration, farm and home use, and crafts for sometime now. He decided it was time that Chalybeate had a tourist attraction.

Cody Vincent and his stepmother, Jan Vincent.

"I was thinking, there's never been nothing like this in Chalybeate so why not?" he said as he stood on top of the display during it's construction earlier this week. 

The display consists of nearly 200 standard bourbon barrels that weigh around 130lbs each. Vincent first laid a gravel foundation and then begin to move the barrels into place by hand, with the help of his stepmother Jan Vincent. Each barrel was rolled off a trailer, hand packed into place and steadied until they got to the fifth layer. That's where Cody's brother-in-law, Caleb Renfro, helped with the use of a tractor with a boom lift to help place the remaining barrels.

Decorations began on the tree on Friday.

Cody and Jan discuss the difficulty of placing the barrels.

The display is located at his wife's (Emily Vincent) hair salon, New Reflections, 2326 Chalybeate Rd, Smiths Grove, 42171, at the junction of Chalybeate Rd and HWY 3611 (old Chalybeate loop). Construction began earlier in the week and decorations began yesterday. Tonight was the first time the barrels were lit up, as family and friends joined them for the fun.

Topping the tree is a 5 foot lighted angel, and the tree can be seen nearly a mile away as you head south on Chalybeate stretch.

"We just wanted to do something fun for the community," Cody said. "We've got a place to sit in front of the tree for pictures and it's free to the public. We just ask that you don't climb on it," he said.

Someone asked him what would happen if the barrels fell.

"I guess we all better run," he said as someone then made a Donkey Kong joke.

Vincent assured everyone that the barrels were safely connected to each other with a selection of various brackets and other hardware in order to make the structure solid.

The Vincents are welcoming everyone to stop by and take a look through their one-way drive at the salon with an entrance on Chalybeate Rd and exit on the other side at the old loop.

The barrels will also be for sale after Christmas, with prices ranging from $50 to $140 each, depending on the size and condition of each one. For more information, you can find them on Facebook, The Bourbon Brothers Barrels, or call Cody at 270-246-2423, or his brother Jon, 270-246-0819. They also sell barrel heads and other barrel parts.