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?

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