Back sweeten before or after barrel aging?

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Robusto

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Hey guys,
Like the title says, should I back sweeten before or after putting my mead into a freshly dumped bourbon barrel? My initial thought was that it should be done after barrel aging so that I can better taste it and adjust more accurately. Then I got to thinking that back sweetening before aging might allow for a more complete melding of the flavors in the barrel, and, if fermentation kicks back up a little, it may help to keep infection at bay...

Thoughts?

Thanks
 
I don't have a barrel but I do use oak cubes or spheres. I taste the mead first, stabilize it, and add just enough honey to make it apparent but not quite to final sweetness. Then finish sweetening after aging. The oak imparts a perception of sweetness and the mead will clear itself of the honey haze during aging. Any honey added at the end will make the mead cloudy again and need either filtering or fining.
 
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