As I sip this 2013 Matsu El Picaro, its rich, oaky flavor sates my palate and its robust finish clears my nose. Craving another pour, I find myself reaching for its midnight-black bottle (and wishing I purchased a 12 oz. NY Strip on my commute home—but alas, it’s tuna tonight). If you indulge in too lengthy of a swig, you’ll invariably experience a fleeting burning sensation. Or, so I hear. This Spanish wine produced from Tinta De Toro is aged six weeks in new French Oak barrels.
If only I could replicate this wondrous, seemingly alchemic oak transformation within my other favorite libations. If only it could be mass-produced and brought to my living room…what’s that, I hear? It exists and it’s “an oaking vessel that accelerates the oak aging process and allows anyone to infuse extravagant aromas and flavors of oak into their bought or homemade beer, cocktail, spirit or wine extremely quickly from the comfort of their own home?”
Enter Oak Bottle. Varying in size and ranging in price, this sleek, portable aging container intones the alchemy its customers desire. Oak Bottle improved a $30 Johnnie Walker Red Label by 30 points, making it taste better than a $60 Johnnie Walker Black Label. Oak Bottle improved a $5 yellow tail Merlot by 43 points, making it taste better than a $40 St. Francis Merlot.
This product introduces the complexity of the aging process into everyday bars and households, and, more importantly, allows me to transpose the oaky taste of my Spanish wine to the most common beverages.
