Top 10 spirits ageing innovations

As Suntory launches its whiskies into space to age on-board the International Space Station, we take a look at which other producers and entrepreneurs have taken innovative steps in spirits maturation.

From whisky sticks and reactors to space maturation and oak bottles, these are the top 10 spirits ageing innovations

When most commentators talk about experimental spirits maturation, barrel-type, length and special finishes dominate discussions. However, a few innovators have found way to really push the envelope.

While a number of new spirits innovations have been applauded for their creative methods, which in turn produce excellent products, others have been met with criticism, especially when it comes to “rapid ageing” techniques.

Two US-based companies have veered into the controversial territory with their new innovations, as one Canadian entrepreneur targets wine and spirits consumers with an oak bottle.

Other distillers look to the sky and sea as unusual locations for barrel ageing, while a gin and whisky producer is inspired by other drinks categories for ageing inspiration.

Click through the following pages to discover our pick of the top 10 spirits ageing innovations.

Oak Bottle

Earlier this year Canadian entrepreneur Joel Paglione unveiled the Oak Bottle, which he claims enhances whisky, brandy and Tequila with the same level of flavour as traditional barrels in less than 48 hours. Said to provide a solution to the “typical oaking process” of wine and spirits, the Oak Bottle range also includes containers infused with the flavours of cherry, coffee and citrus. It claims to “make the oak infusion 
process simple, fast, and cost effective”.

Whiskey Elements

US-based group Time and Oak got tongues wagging when its Whiskey Eelments innovation – which claims to turn young whisky into “top shelf stuff” in just 24 hours – received five times its crowd-funding goal on Kickstarter in just two weeks. The collection of wooden sticks, said to be made from staves of whisky barrels, are available in oak, vanilla, maple, smoky and peaty varieties. The products are cut in a way that, according to its manufacturer, allows the liquid to gain more exposure to the wood’s capillaries and thus receive the “affects” of three-year maturation in a matter of hours.

Warehouse X

Opened by Buffalo Trace in 2014, Warehouse X marked a substantial investment by a leading spirits producer to experiment with whisky maturation. Containing US$1.5m worth of monitoring and reporting technology, Warehouse X is comprised of four independently operating chambers that allow specific variables – including natural light, temperature, humidity and airflow – to be tested. With top of the range tech, the warehouse is able to send daily reports to the Buffalo Trace team. The first experiment currently being conducted at the site is measuring the natural effects of sunlight on ageing Bourbon barrels.

Nomad Outland Whisky

Named one of the most innovative spirits launches of 2014 by The Spirits Business, Nomad Outland Whisky is the result of a collaboration between González Byass and The Dalmore master distiller Richard Paterson. The expression is made in Scotland using “principally Speyside” whiskies aged between five and eight years, which have been been selected by Paterson to blend and age in Sherry butts in Scotland for a further three years. The resulting liquid is then aged for even longer in Pedro Ximénez barrels in González Byass’ Jerez cellars in Spain, allowing the liquid to come into contact with native yeasts in the area.

Thea One

The newest addition to the world’s spirits ageing innovations is Thea One­ – a small, portable ageing reactor that claims to replicate the taste profile of 20-year-old rum within a matter of days. Created by Silicon Valley-based Lost Spirits Technology, the innovation is said to imitate the chemical structure and taste profile of aged spirits. According to the manufacturer, Thea One will be installed in craft distilleries throughout the US, adding it is “in talks” with multinational drinks producers to implement the device on a “grand scale”.

Jefferson’s Ocean: Aged at Sea

Jefferson’s Ocean: Aged at Sea is the result of older Bourbon barrels aged for seven to eight years on land, that have then been further aged at sea for an additional five to 10 months. The barrels stop at five different continents and cross the equator four times, allowing them to be exposed to different temperatures and atmospheres. In addition, barometric pressure fluctuations during the sea voyage cause the oak staves to expand and contract, and allow the Bourbon to “extract more of the tannins and flavour from the oak during its maturation”. While many accused the distillery of marketing gimmickry, the end result of Jefferson’s Ocean: Aged at Sea has been favourably received by critics.

Suntory space experiment

Just this summer, Japanese whisky producer Suntory revealed its intention to launch a number of its products into space to test how a gravity-free environment affects the “mellowness” of spirits as they age. Conducted on the International Space Station’s Japanese Experiment Module, nicknamed Kibo, the experiment will store two groups of spirits in a “convection-free state”, one for around a year, the other for three or more years. Scotch whisky producer Ardbeg recently ended a similar experiment that tested the effects of gravity on micro-organic compounds found at its distillery on Islay.

Copper & Kings “sonic ageing”

Copper & Kings is the latest distillery to test the affects of music on spirits maturation with its “sonic ageing” experiment. The Kentucky-based firm played songs by Lenny Kravitz, The Doors and Bruce Springsteen to its ageing brandy as part of the research, which began last month. The company claimed that vibrations triggered by loud music causes the liquid to circulate within the barrel, increasing its contact with the oak and creating a “stronger flavour”. Earlier in the same month, New Zealand-based Rogue Society unveiled what it claimed was the “world’s first music-infused gin”.

Citadelle Gin Reserve Solera

Also named as one of the most innovative spirits launches of 2014 is Citadelle Gin Solera. Purportedly the world’s first solera-aged gin, the expression is matured for varied amounts of time in different barrels, reflecting the process of brandy and Sherry maturation. To make the bottling, original batches of Citadelle Gin are placed in three different types of casks – a Cognac cask, Pineau des Charente and American oak – for between two and five months. Once this process is complete, all liquid is put into the “mother solera” where it is married and then bottled. The “mother solera” is only ever half emptied in order to maintain flavour consistency.

Mature Your Own Cocktail Kit

Capitalising on the barrel-aged gin and cocktail trend, Master of Malt expanded its range of DIY spirits ageing kits this summer. The retailer created a Mature Your Own Cocktail Kit for three different types of aged cocktails – Manhattan, Negroni and Martinez – and also added a gin-specific variant to the range. All kits come with a one-litre freshly toasted American white oak barrel of medium to heavy char. Of course, Master of Malt is not the first company to venture into at-home spirits ageing, as this list of the top 10 DIY whisky ageing kits shows.