Fast-ageing reactor to ‘revolutionise’ craft spirits

Silicon Valley-based Lost Spirits Technology has patented a new “ageing reactor” that it claims can replicate the taste profile of 20-year-old rum at a commercial level.

Lost Spirits Technology is set to launch the Thea One spirits ageing reactor

The company has unveiled a small, portable ageing reactor called Thea One, which it intends to roll out nationwide in October 2015.

Thea One is the result of Lost Spirits’ bid to “scale up” its experimental distilled spirits ageing system, which it has been endeavouring to do since “successfully” replicating the chemical structure and taste profile of 20-year-old rum in a laboratory setting.

The firm said this technology will be installed in craft distilleries across the US, offering a “revolutionary” way of designing and engineering the “quality of aged spirits”.

“Lost Spirits currently has 65 distilleries on its waiting list and is in talks to potentially implement the technology on a grand scale with multinational spirits partners,” the company said.

It continued: “Unlike others who have made similar claims, Lost Spirits Technology has been substantiated using forensic chemistry reviewed by independent experts.”

“Many of the company’s experimental releases have been met with high praise within the industry, blogosphere, and at professionally moderated industry blind tastings.”

Last year, US-based group Time and Oak unveiled a new innovation created from staves of a barrel that claims to turn young whisky into “top shelf stuff” in just 24 hours.

A few months later, a Canadian entrepreneur launched an oak bottle which claims to enhance the flavour of spirits in less than 48 hours.