Is This The Future Of Wood Barrels?
While watching some television this evening I caught a glimpse of this new commercial from Jim Beam.
As set forth from their commercial, will this be the end all for barrels being reused?
According to Jim Beam’s website, this is how their fine distillers came up with Devil’s Cut:
“As bourbon ages, a portion of the liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation—that’s the “Angel’s Share.” After aging, when the bourbon is dumped out of the barrel, a certain amount of whiskey is left trapped within the wood of every barrel.
We call that the “devil’s cut.”
To create Jim Beam® Devil’s Cut®, an extraordinary new bourbon experience, we developed a proprietary process that actually pulls the rich whiskey trapped inside the barrels’ wood after they’re emptied. We hold this barrel-treated extract until it develops the proper balance of bourbon notes, then blend it with 6 year old bourbon and bottle at 90 proof. The result: a robust, premium bourbon with deep color, aroma and character.”
Will it be more challenging in the future for breweries to acquire previously used spirits barrels? Or will breweries catch on and develop their own marketing strategy similar to this one developed by Jim Beam? Maybe this extraction process will be the next wave in barrel aged beers?
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.
while hard to say what their method is exactly there is nothing new about extracting that soaked up booze by “sweating” the barrel. I suspect this commercial is just glamorizing that much like a macro beer commercial would advertise their beer as cold brewed.
I think this is the future of barrels in America.
Jeff, I totally agree with your assertion of go big or go home. And thanks for getting the joke 🙂