While your standard bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak containers (thanks, regulations), the wild world of “finishing” allows distillers to get a little creative after that initial beauty sleep. Finishing means moving the aged spirit into a second barrel for a shorter period to soak up some new, interesting flavors. When that second barrel is made from something other than your typical American oak, we call it an exotic wood finish.

Definition

Exotic wood is basically any non-traditional wood used to finish aging a spirit. Think of it as a whiskey’s study abroad program. After spending years in a classic American oak barrel, it might get transferred to a cask made from French Oak, Japanese Mizunara, or Brazilian Amburana. Each one imparts a flavor profile so distinct, you’ll wonder if your whiskey is having an identity crisis.

Why does it matter?

Because it completely changes the taste, that’s why. Are you bored with the usual vanilla and caramel? An Amburana finish can slap you in the face with gingerbread and cinnamon. A Mizunara finish might introduce delicate notes of sandalwood and coconut. It’s the distiller’s way of adding a serious plot twist to the story of a whiskey. This is how you get bourbons that taste less like Kentucky and more like a spice market in a far-off land. It’s either brilliant or blasphemy, depending on who you ask.

How OAKR helps

Everyone’s palate is different. You might taste gingerbread, while your friend tastes old furniture. It’s subjective. The OAKR app cuts through the noise by aggregating tasting notes from our panel of blind tasters. We tell you what you’re likely to taste before you spend your hard-earned cash on a bottle that might be too weird for you. Explore the OAKR app to find in-depth flavor profiles and get whiskey recommendations that actually match your preferences.