Veteran Bourbon Review: Oak & Eden Bourbon & Spire – Toasted Oak

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Bourbon & Spire Toasted Oak

History – “Oak & Eden was birthed out of an ideal for innovation. We believe authority is released when a creator creates, and we believe everyone carries the spirit of creation in them. Because of that, we pioneered a precious technique that would become the lifeblood of Oak & Eden; in-bottle finishing™”-  Oak & Eden Our Story

“Wood; it’s what makes whiskey taste like whiskey. When someone prefers a certain flavor in a whiskey, they are really saying they like the naturally occurring flavors that come from the barrel wood the whiskey was aged in.

At Oak & Eden, we follow traditional distillation and aging to the letter, aging our whiskeys for at least three years in American Oak barrels.

We break tradition in the finishing (or double barrel) process, where instead of putting our fully aged whiskey in a second barrel to add more flavor coming naturally from the wood, we place in the bottle a Spire; a spiral-cut piece of oak fashioned from the same species and treatment as barrel oak.

This allows our whiskey to “finish” or flavor naturally, producing rich, sweet flavors that could only come from the power of wood.” – In-Bottle Finishing

Oak & Eden centers their products around their in-bottle finishing, adding various oak spires to several different products. This creates unique flavor profiles and allows them flexibility in their “bourbon” offerings. Oak & Eden has won numerous awards for its innovation. 

Value – This bottle tastes pretty young. I think it’s a little pricey for what it is. I believe this is another great marketing gimmick that they are over- charging for. They have a very nice bottle, so I’m sure that elevates the price a bit.    

Appearance – The bottle is actually really nice. It’s a nice shape and feels great in your hand. The label is inset in the glass and has the Oak & Eden name made in the glass. It comes with a great quality corked top. It’s filled with a caramel colored bourbon with a long oak spire in the bottle. It’s a cool effect having the wood spire in there. It reminds you of the worm in the tequila or the snake in the sake bottle. 

Nose – Sweet Caramel / Light Oak / Low Alcohol / Allspice. This bottle’s best quality is its nose. It has a very low amount of alcohol fumes. The primary note is the caramel, then the oak. The nose also has hints of vanilla and honey. Overall it’s a very pleasant and calm nose.  

Palate – Medium Heat / Medium Body / Light Oak / Butterscotch. The palate on this isn’t bad, it’s just not anything special. The flavors are very light. The oak delivers a light toasted oak flavor, which is nice. It has a medium body feel in the mouth and a medium heat level. There is a hint of butterscotch in the mid to back of the palate. Overall, it just tastes very young.  

Finish – Low Heat / Cinnamon / Oak / Lingering. The finish is pretty cinnamon forward. It gives you a little lingering heat, but nothing too strong. There is a small amount of oak tannin flavor, but not too much. The cinnamon is the strongest of the flavors and lingers around for quite a while. Again, like the palate, it’s not bad, just not that great. 

Summary –  Overall, this isn’t a terrible pour, it just tastes pretty young. I imagine if you were to leave this on the shelf for a couple years, it would change drastically because of the oak spire in it. I appreciate the idea behind it, but for right now, it just doesn’t impress me too much. It’s got a pretty good nose, but the palate and finish are lacking complexity and balance.

Uniqueness – 1-10 – 7

Appearance- 1-10 – 8

Nose- 1-20 – 11

Palate- 1-20 – 7

Finish- 1-20 – 7

Value- 1-20 – 8

4.8