The difference between cheap whiskey and the top-shelf stuff is how long they’ve spent aging in their wooden barrels. It’s the wood in the barrels that give the liquor its taste and colour, and also filter out some of the hangover-causing chemicals. But the problem with barrels (an ancient method of aging alcohol) is that due to the wood being cut perpendicular to its grain (a necessary process to prevent the whiskey from just seeping out), very few of the capillaries are exposed to the liquid inside the barrel. That means it takes a really long time for the alcohol to penetrate the wood and acquire the sought-after flavours.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, and Whisky Elements is the proposed solution. You’re looking at some wooden sticks that, when soaked in cheap whiskey for 24 hours, will give it the taste and richness of the top-shelf stuff. The idea is quite simple: instead of putting the whiskey in a barrel, simply put the barrel in the whisky! These wooden sticks have several cuts perpendicular to the grain, exposing the capillaries within, and giving the liquor easy access to the chemicals that normally take decades to leech into barrel-aged whiskey! It’s a patent-pending process the creators call “Accelerated transpiration through capillary action.”
To make matters even more interesting, Whiskey Elements come in various “flavours”, based on how long and how hot the wood is cooked at. You get cool flavours, like “Smooth Maple Vanilla Oak”, or “Almond Coffee”. And the best part is Whiskey Elements is cheap: $10 will get you a pair of sticks, enough to “fix” a half gallon of crap whiskey.
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That’s a hell of a scientific work for “we cut slits in wood sticks”. Good idea though, will definitely try!
Ugh, I hate how keeps mispronouncing “acetaldehyde” and “phenyl”.
Have you had the chance to try these “whisky element” yourself ?