Most Unique Ways to Age Whiskey

British Guy: 00:00:03

Now I like a nice drop of whiskey as much as the next chap,

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maybe even a bit more if I'm honest.

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And let me tell you, the world of whiskey,

well, it's gone absolutely bonkers lately.

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It used to be you had your scotch,

your bourbon, a few Irish whiskeys

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if you were feeling adventurous.

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But now.

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Oh, dear me, there's a whole distillery's

worth of new brands finishes, and

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frankly, ludicrous names popping up

faster than you can say, single molt.

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Join me as I dive into the world of

whiskey and try to taste and rate

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the hottest new releases of the year.

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Whiskey has always been a passion of

mine, and every year I get excited

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to see what new trends and releases

are gonna shake up the industry.

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Whether you are a seasoned whiskey

enthusiast or just a casual drinker,

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keeping up with the latest trends

can be overwhelming, but it's.

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Also what makes it so exciting?

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So pull yourself a dram, settle in

and let's navigate this wonderful

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slightly mad world of whiskey together.

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Remember when craft beer was all the rage?

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Well strap yourselves in because whiskey's

having its own small batch moment.

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It's like everyone and their dog

who owns a copper still and a garden

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shed are suddenly whiskey barons.

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But an.

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This is crucial.

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Some of these craft distilleries,

they're onto something rather special.

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You see, unlike the big boys,

these smaller outfits, they've

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got the freedom to experiment.

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They're not beholden to some century old

recipe for old crusty's single barrel.

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No, they're chucking in.

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Locally sourced grains, experimenting

with wood finishes you'd find in

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a furniture shop, and generally

throwing caution to the wind and the

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results of, well, some of it is to

put it politely, an acquired taste.

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But the good stuff, oh my word.

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It's like nothing you've ever tasted.

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Take this big Scottish

operation called odd Beg.

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Most think of them as traditional, but

Ardberg sent whiskey molecules to the

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International Space Station in 2011 to

study how microgravity affects maturation.

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Sounds utterly balmy, doesn't it?

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It's this kind of innovation, this

willingness to push the boundaries

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that makes the craft distillery

scene so exciting right now.

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Of course, with so many new players on

the field, it can be a bit of a minefield

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trying to find the gems amongst, shall

we say, the less successful experiments.

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But that's part of the fun, isn't it?

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The thrill of the hunt

for that perfect drown.

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And who knows?

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You might just discover the

next big thing in whiskey.

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Now I've got a few bottles here from

some up and coming distilleries.

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We've got a rye whiskey finished in

maple syrup barrels, a single malt aged

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in sherry casks that used to hold Pedro

Jimenez and something called a peat

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monster that I'm almost afraid to open.

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Let's see what these little

guys have got, shall we?

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Now, you might think that with all

these craft distilleries popping

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up, the big boys, the established

names in whiskey might be getting

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a bit nervous, but you'd be wrong.

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I.

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In fact, they're busier than a

one-arm bartender on a Saturday night

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churning out new brands and labels.

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It's enough to make your head spin.

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You walk into a liquor store nowadays,

and it's like staring into the

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abyss of a whiskey filled universe.

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Every shelf is groaning under the

weight of limited editions, special

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releases, and bottles with more marketing

jargon than a politician's speech.

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Triple Cask finished, they say

aged for 18 summers under the

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watchful eye of a master distiller.

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Honestly, you'd think they were selling

unicorn tears bottled on Mount Olympus.

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Don't get me wrong, some of it is

genuinely good stuff, but there's also

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a lot of, shall we say, marketing fly.

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The trick, my friends, is to

not be swayed by the hike.

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Don't be seduced by the fancy packaging or

the promises of unparalleled smoothness.

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Look beyond the marketing smoke

and mirrors, and try to find out

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what the whiskey is actually about.

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A good place to start is

the distillery itself.

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Do they have a good reputation?

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What are their other whiskeys like?

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And crucially, what are the

people who actually drink it?

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Saying the internet for all its faults

can be a treasure trove of honest

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reviews from fellow whiskey enthusiasts.

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And don't be afraid to be adventurous.

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Just because a brand is new

doesn't mean it's not worth trying.

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Some of the most exciting whiskeys

I've tasted recently have been from

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brands I'd never even heard of before.

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So keep an open mind, do your

research, and most importantly,

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don't be afraid to experiment.

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You never know what hidden

gems you might uncover.

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Now we've talked about the craft

distilleries shaking things up, and

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the big boys trying to keep pace,

but what about the future of whiskey?

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Where is it all heading?

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Well, my crystal ball is a bit

cloudy, probably from all the whiskey

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tasting, but I've got my eye on a few

emerging distilleries that I think

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are really onto something special.

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These are the pioneers, the ones pushing

the boundaries of what whiskey can be.

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They're experimenting with new grains,

new techniques, and new finishes,

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all in pursuit of that perfect dram.

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Take for instance, this

distillery in New York.

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They use a proprietary black noise

sonic enhancement process, blasting

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Metallica songs through subwoofers

at the barrels, vibrations agitate,

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the liquid increasing would interact.

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It's like bringing sex, drugs,

and rock and roll in a bottle.

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Then there's this other distillery,

well-known whiskey brand Jefferson's,

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and they're doing something rather

extraordinary with their aging process.

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They've developed a system that

uses actual waves to accelerate.

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The maturation of the whiskey.

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Now I know what you're thinking.

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Waves is that some new age nonsense,

but apparently it actually works.

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The whiskey matures much faster

and the flavor profile is

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said to be incredibly complex.

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It's this kind of innovation,

this willingness to challenge

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the status quo that makes me so

excited about the future of whiskey.

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These emerging distilleries, they're

not afraid to take risks, to experiment

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and to push the boundaries, and that

my friends, is what it's all about.

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Of course not every experiment

is going to be a success.

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There will be missteps, there will

be failures, and there will be some

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truly bizarre creations that leave

you wondering what they were thinking.

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But that's all part of

the journey, isn't it?

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And for every head scratching concoction,

there's a chance of discovering

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something truly exceptional, something

that redefines what whiskey can be.

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So keep your eyes peeled and your

palate's ready because the future of

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whiskey is looking very exciting indeed.

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Right.

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Then let's talk about something truly

exciting, something that sets the hearts

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of whiskey enthusiasts racing faster

than a runaway barrel down a hill.

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Alternative grains and finishes.

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It used to be your grain options

were about as varied as a

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penguin's wardrobe, barley, corn,

rye, the end, but not anymore.

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Nowadays, distilleries are

throwing everything but the

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kitchen sink into their mashes.

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We are talking ancient grains like spelt

and iron corn, more commonly found in

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artisanal bread than a bottle of booze.

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And then there's the rise of

quinoa whiskey, which frankly

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sounds like something you'd find

in a health food shop, but I'm

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willing to keep an open mind.

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But it's not just the grains

that are getting a shakeup.

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The finishes are where things

get really interesting.

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Forget your standard ex

bourbon or sherry casks.

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We're talking about barrels that

once held everything from rum and

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port to mezcal and even wait for it.

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Maple syrup.

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Yes, you heard me right?

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Maple syrup.

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Now I know what you're thinking.

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James, old boy, are they just

chucking whiskey into any old

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barrel they can find lying around?

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And the answer, my friends,

is a resounding maybe.

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But before you dismiss it as

utter madness, consider this.

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These unusual finishes can

impart incredibly complex and

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unexpected flavors to the whiskey.

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Take for example, this bottle I've

got here finished in sone cuss sone.

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For those not familiar, is a

sweet dessert wine from France.

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You might think it would make

the whiskey unbearably sweet,

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but it's actually quite delicate.

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Adding notes of honey,

apricot, and a hint of spice.

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Then there's this other one

finished in barrels that previously

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held petered ailey scotch.

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The result is a fascinating juxtaposition

of smokey peay notes with the

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sweetness of the original whiskey.

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It's like a bonfire on a beach.

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Intriguing, unexpected,

and utterly delightful.

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The world of alternative grains

and finishes is a vast and exciting

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playground for whiskey lovers.

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It's a chance to explore new flavors,

discover hidden gems, and perhaps even

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challenge your preconceived notions

of what whiskey should taste like.

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So be adventurous, be curious,

and most importantly, keep an open

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mind and a bottle opener handy.

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Now amidst this whirlwind of craft

distilleries, new brands, and experimental

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finishes, there's one distillery that's

really caught my attention this year.

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They've only been around for a short

while, but they're already making waves

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in the industry and for a good reason.

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This my friends, is a distillery that

embodies everything exciting about the

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world of whiskey right now, innovation,

tradition, and a dash of audacious.

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They're called Cleveland Whiskey and

they're based in Ohio, a place not

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exactly known for its whiskey production,

but perhaps that's their secret weapon.

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You see, they're not bound by the

conventions and expectations of more

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established whiskey making regions.

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They're free to experiment, to innovate,

and to create something truly unique,

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and that's precisely what they're doing.

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They use pressurized tanks, oxygen

and ultrasonic waves to mimic

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years of barrel aging in just days.

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It's aging on fast forward, and they're

aging their whiskey in a variety of

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unusual casks, including those that

once held local wines and beers.

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But it's not just about

novelty for novelty's sake.

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This distillery has a deep

respect for the tradition and

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craftsmanship of whiskey making.

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They use a combination of modern

techniques and time honored methods

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to create their spirits, and their

attention to detail is evident in

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every aspect of their operation.

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From the sourcing of their ingredients

to the design of their bottles, I

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managed to get my hands on a bottle

of their flagship whiskey, and I

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have to say, it's rather impressive.

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It's a beautifully balanced spirit.

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It's complex, yet approachable,

smooth, yet full of character.

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It's the kind of whiskey that

makes you want to sit back.

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Savor every sip and ponder the

ingenuity of the people who created it.

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Now, I know it's early days and only time

will tell if this distillery will live up

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to its potential, but based on what I've

seen and tasted so far, I'm willing to bet

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that they're onto something truly special.

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This, my friends is a distillery to watch,

and I have a feeling we'll be hearing a

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lot more from them in the years to come.

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As we wrap up our look at the hottest

whiskey trends of the year, it's clear

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that there's never been a more exciting

time to be a whiskey enthusiast.

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It's a bit like trying to herd cats,

frankly, keeping up with it all.

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But that's part of the charm, isn't it?

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The constant sense of discovery.

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The thrill of the unknown.

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From emerging distilleries to innovative

flavor profiles, there's something

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for everyone to get excited about.

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It's a reminder that even in a

world obsessed with the latest and

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greatest, there's still room for

tradition craftsmanship, and dare

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I say, a little bit of whimsy.

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Whether you are a seasoned pro or just

starting to explore the world of whiskey,

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I hope this video has given you some

inspiration to try something new and

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explore the amazing world of whiskey.

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Thanks for watching, and don't

forget to share your favorite

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whiskey trends in the comments below.

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And remember, as with all good

things, enjoy responsibly.

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If you want to learn more about spirits

and drinks, be sure to check out our next

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video for more insights and adventures.

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Cheers.