When it comes to whiskey, few distilleries veer from traditional techniques that result in a smooth yet satisfying finish. But Brad Neathery and Joe Giildenzopf are challenging traditions with Oak & Eden in Southlake.
Launching in 2017, Oak & Eden is the first spirit brand of its kind to utilize a patented technique called “in-bottle finishing,” where a 5-inch spiral of oak is dropped inside a bottle of fully aged whiskey. Brad says dropping a wood spire into the bottle absorbs the whiskey’s bitterness and delivers a fuller flavor.
“A good whiskey has more to do with the wood than it does the spirit, which is why creating a distilled spirit only takes a couple of weeks but a fully finished whiskey takes years,” Brad says. “The intent is not to continue the aging process, but simply to add flavor by adding the variables of wood, fire and spirits that had previously infused the wood.”
Oak & Eden’s signature product, Bourbon & Spire, serves as the base for all of its whiskey variations. The differences between each whiskey is the minor adjustments made to the wooden spires inside. The Wheat & Spire, for instance, sinks French Oak into the bottle as opposed to toasted American Oak, while the Rye & Spire chars the wood for a caramelized effect.
More ambitious combinations like the Bourbon & Brew soaks the spire in Denton’s West Oak Coffee cold brew before sinking it into the bourbon for a coffee-inspired aftertaste. But the bestseller comes in the award-winning Bourbon & Vine, which immerses the spire in Marker Cellars’ cabernet sauvignon for a sweet and savory infusion.
“While it’s hard to ignore that there is a spire of wood inside every bottle of whiskey, that is not what inherently makes us unique,” Brad says. “What separates Oak & Eden is our ability to change the experience of our whiskey at bottle level, not barrel or batch level. We can customize and fine tune each bottle specifically to meet the desired profile for ourselves, our retailers and brands we work with.”
Located in thousands of stores across 21 states, Oak & Eden is making splashes across the whiskey production scene. You can pick up a bottle at Bear Creek Spirits & Wine in Colleyville, Fossil Creek Liquor in Westlake or 6S Spirits in Trophy Club.