I&#x27;m not sure that small barrels harm the maturation of whiskey at all; see Laphroaig&#x27;s excellent Quarter Cask scotch, as an example.<p>As an aside, some of the current rock-stars in the &#x27;artisanal&#x27; non-distiller producer world make extensive use of MGP&#x2F;LDI products - High West and Smooth Ambler come to mind. Templeton is an easy (and deserving) target, but I&#x27;d rather highlight the resellers that <i>are</i> blending MGP, and are doing amazing things with it. If you&#x27;re ever in SF, I&#x27;d be happy to buy you a flight of whiskies sourced from MGP (sans Templeton) that all exhibit wildly different profiles; it may or may not change your views on MGP.