Barrel Aging BeyondAmerican Oak
Exploring alternative woods, aging techniques, and experimental cask programs.
Websites, social media, magazines, books, podcasts, masterclasses; no matter where you get your information, you learn very quickly there are only three ingredients in whisky: water, grain, and yeast.
Yet, ask where the flavour comes from, and immediately, the topic turns to wood. Does better wood really make better whisky? What do you mean by better? And why are so many whisky makers experimenting with alternate woods?
Still a Margarita
The Margarita is, without question, one of life’s most perfect cocktails. Sweet and tangy with a nice pop of salt from the rim of the glass, it has an almost chameleonic ability to thrive in any beverage niche. Served up or on the rocks? Whichever. Out of a slushie machine? Sure. You can elevate it to an art form and nurse it contemplatively in a high-end cocktail bar, or you can quaff it unceremoniously from a red solo cup while inhaling a food truck burrito. If it wouldn’t take much to convince you that there is a taco for every season, then surely, there’s a Margarita for every occasion.
Seeing Flavour
Imagine standing in the chip aisle: no names, no ingredients, just coloured bags. You'd still probably know which one is cheddar, which is jalapeño, and which is salt & vinegar. Why? Because over time, colours have become flavour cues. Now picture yourself in the whisky aisle. Could those label colours be telling your taste buds what to expect too? Turns out, they might be.