New Spirits Label Aims To “In Bottle Finish” American Whiskey

Finishing whiskey is an art. It usually involves putting product that’s been resting in one type of barrel (i.e. American oak) into another (i.e. ex-sherry) for a little bit of extra aging time to further influence flavor. Usually, once the whiskey hits the glass bottle you pick up off the store shelf, it is done aging. Sanctified Spirits, a new spirits company out of Texas, bets though their new “in-bottle finished” line of whiskeys that it can take things in a different direction.

The new Oak & Eden Handcrafted Whiskey line up, according to those behind it, consists initially of a two-year-old bourbon and a rye whiskey, both of which have been aged in traditional charred, new American oak barrels. Once the whiskey leaves the barrels and is put into bottle, it is joined by a five-inch-long, spiral-cut piece of American oak known as the Spire.

This wood, said those at Sanctified Spirits, is either charred or toasted, depending upon the whiskey type, and this reportedly impacts the flavor in that “the lighter the toast on the spire, the sweeter the flavor profile.  The heavier the toast the deeper the flavor. By changing the wood type, such as American Oak, French Oak, or Maple, we creatively introduce new botanicals, essences and nuances that take our whiskey to new heights.”

Both the bourbon and rye whiskeys are initially available in Texas for an undisclosed price. Other bottlings are planned for the future, such as a “Cabernet-Steeped” variety, whereby is rested a French Oak spire in cabernet sauvignon for 6 weeks prior to using it to finish an American whiskey.