The Magic of Triple Oak

If you only listened to scientists, you would probably believe that Bourbon only exists due a chemical reaction that occurs when heat meets wood.

The fire toasting and charring of new American oak breaks down and caramelizes the naturally occurring sugar in the wood, and along with its natural tannins, gives Bourbon its unmistakable look and flavor. However, at Northwest Spirits we would like to present you with an alternative theory as to how Bourbon is made. Magic.

We were so fascinated by the magical interplay of charred oak and Bourbon, we made sure that the process takes place three separate times in our Triple Oak blending process.

The first step in the triple oak process takes place in-barrel when Bourbon meets wood for the first time and ages for at least 2 years (the legal minimum required age to be called a “Straight” Bourbon), all the way up to 5 years. As patient as this first step sounds, we’re busy people with cocktails to pour and friends to make, so we decided to accelerate the process. We do that by adding secondary oak (a series of fire-toasted white oak staves that we set to rest inside the barrel). In a fraction of that time, we can create a flavor profile specific to our liking.

The third and final step is the addition of our proprietary Savor Spear®, which we introduce in-bottle. Our Savor Spear® is a custom toasted single oak stave, designed to impart flavors from the wood such as vanilla bean, rich caramel and spiced raw honey. Our Savor Spear® is also said to provide a geniality and wondrous quality to our Whiskey experience. After all, making Bourbon may be a serious business, but drinking Bourbon should be fun.

It’s a nuanced labor of love to create such a personalized Whiskey and to some, Bourbon is simply the result of science, a reaction that occurs when fire meets wood and wood meets whiskey.

However, we really beg to differ. It’s more like magic.