Bespoken Spirits Eyes New, Sustainable Way to Make Whiskey

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Sustainable Whiskey Lab Method
According to ESM Magazine, the spirit undergoes three to five days in a metal barrel-like keg. The oxidation process is accelerated by the technology, changing the whiskey’s flavor and extracting color, smell and taste profile from a piece of oak about the size of a pinky finger.

After the oak is charred in the laboratory, it is cut into tiny pieces known as microstaves, which are roughly 1/25,000th the size of a genuine barrel. Janousek, a material scientist and company co-founder, said this enables them to use 97% less wood.

They may also avoid cutting down trees and spending years storing barrels in a controlled environment. Because of the short maturation time, Bespoken doesn’t lose liquid to evaporation, which is known as the “angel’s share.” This enables them to use 20% less water, Aaron said."...