Just for you Jimbo - fast aging "Flavor sticks"?

What is feckin whiskey doing on the net's leading independent rum website? There's a reason, read on, but it's not my fault! Honest...
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Dai
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Just for you Jimbo - fast aging "Flavor sticks"?

Post by Dai »

http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/ ... -24-hours/

Enjoy try not to get to wound up. Think of the blood pressure.
Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect!

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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Not again...


The last time this happened were the 6-day claims of Cleveland Whiskey. At that time since I took the time to engage our man Bear, and got CW to send him a bottle for his completely unbiased review, which in sum, was simply horrible. Just like CW, these guys are relying on simplistic pseudo-science and the old, tired notion that aging is nothing more than exposure to wood, yet another outgrowth of the ADI's small barrel theory of wood area per unit of volume.

You all know the answer to that one, so I need not repeat it here. No with half a brain believes that true aging can occur in 24 hours. What I think these boyos are doing is (a) repeating the pseudo-science and (b) infusing the oak sticks with various flavors (which I believe they bake in).

The claim is that you can "fast age" your whiskey to your personal taste and achieve whichever "element" you desire from a menu of "peat, smoke, honey, maple or 'age' (?)".

Of course they are not "aging" the whiskey as they allege, but more likely simply finding a clever and marketable way to transfer what may be artificial flavors from their crosscut oak sticks to the spirit. Or maybe not.

What a joke. Their pitch that you create a "top shelf whisky in 24 hours" is simply too good to be true.



********
Be sure to see their video and explantions...
http://timeandoak.com/#section-science
http://timeandoak.com/
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Wed Oct 15, 2014 9:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

And more...


Further research took me to the company's Kickstarter fund raising effort, where they deny using flavorings:
"Common question - "How are you achieving these unique flavors?" "Are you adding flavor additives?"

Answer - Nope. This is a 100% all natural process with no chemicals or additives. It's a proprietary curing process but basically the flavors come from temperature and time. A 20 degree change can alter the flavor from maple-oak to almond-coffee. It's pretty amazing to see the dramatic effects that small variations in our curing process will have on the flavors. "
Still, this in no way can replace aging; further these claims are still "beta", meaning not final as this company is not yet funded or really operational. Accordingly I have sent them an email challenging them to provide a set of aging sticks, which I will again forward to the Bear for his studied and competent analysis (assuming he accepts the assignment, lol)...




*******
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/26 ... in-24-hour
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

The following was sent to the company, twice...
"Dear friends...

This is Capn Jimbo of the Rum Project, and we were intrigued to hear of your flavor sticks. We are among the largest, fully independent and non-commercial rum websites on the net, having reviewed hundreds of rums, whiskies, et al. The site is populated with a number of well known reviewers, distillers, and the like.

We are big backers of craft distilling, pot stilling and to purity and quality of the product. Our posters are technically quite knowledgable, ergo this email...

It goes without saying that your claims are controversial and for a number of reasons which I need not replicate here, but are based on the additive, subractive and interactive processes involved in aging, that occur at different speeds, with different effects and which overall, require years to accomplish. You are far from the first to claim "fast aging", but to claim that a whisky can be aged in 24 hours is hard to believe.

I have to admit to great personal doubt, but if nothing else our well known site is dedicated to open and honest inquiry. If you have indeed made a breakthrough that even partially achieves in 24 hours what would otherwise take many years, or even a couple years, then you have something.

Therefore I make you this offer: if you will provide a set of your flavor sticks for evaluation, they will be fully tested by one of our two professional and published whiskey reviewers (my expertise is rum). We will apply your sticks in accord with your directions to see what effect they have on a very young whiskey.

The results will be shared with you for final comment and participation, then published. Of course you will have our permission to use or quote the review as you see fit.

Cordially,
Capn Jimbo
The Rum Project
http://rumproject.com/rumforum/"
The first was sent via their contact form two days ago; the second and last this morning, to their website email link. If these boyz really believe their own hype they will respond. Stay tuned...
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

No answer, ergo:
" Dear guys...

As a legitimate and well respected rum and whisky review website, we've tried three times now to courteously contact you regarding your flavor sticks, which are certainly intriguing.

However, your lack of response is disturbing - do you fear an honest and competent test by a professional reviewer? If your sticks even work partially, we'd be impressed and you'd earn a review worth promoting.

If you fail to even respond, that too is noteworthy for quite the opposite reason, a lack of confidence in your own product. Either way, we look forward to hearing (or not) from you. We'll publish either way. Your move, bowels...


Best (and last) regards....
Capn Jimbo
The Rum (and whiskey) Project
http://rumproject.com/rumforum/"
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

The Flavor Sticks Guyz finally wrote back...


...but only to suggest that if we wanted to try them, we'd have to participate in the crowd funding effort and in essence buy a couple sticks for say $12 and wait 3 months for delivery. I made it clear that inasmuch as their method was as yet unreviewed, and controversial that we were not inclined to support their project.

I then counteroffered -"... if you are willing to donate just one stick (which they call an "element") that in their opinion best simulates the bold fast aging claim they make, that we in turn would be willing to donate the considerable time and expertise of one of our qualified whiskey reviewers (think Bear and Cleveland Whisky). I reminded them of the value of good review, and offered that they would have our permission to use our review in their marketing.

The result? You know, back to crickets in the night...




*******
Dig this! It's clear that these guys don't want or need a good review, and don't have enough confidence in their product to submit a stick and risk a bad one. How so? Their Kickstarter goal was $18,000 and before producing a splinter they've raised over $165,000 with two days to go. With that kind of silly money flowing in, they'd be foolish to chance an honest review...
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

"You can never underestimate the stupidity of the American public" (Scott Adams, cartoonist, Dilbert)...


...aka a fool and his money are soon parted. Actually 5,005 fools. No wonder these guys didn't want their flavor sticks reviewed. With nothing less than their well marketed claims and unproven concept they exceeded their crowdfunding goal of $18,000 by - gulp - $177, 982 for a total of $195,982 at the end of the funding period (which ended a few minutes ago).

An analysis showed that of the 5005 backers buying this fakokte story, forty five invested $250, two bet $1500 and five wagered $2500 on this faco. I wonder how much (if any) of the $26,750 contributed by the big spenders might have been seeded by shills. FWIW, Kickstarter has been gamed by project managers (link below).




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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/26 ... in-24-hour
http://www.polygon.com/2013/9/18/474406 ... the-system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickstarter
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Post by Winston »

Shit! I guess we've been doing it wrong the whole time. Back to the drawing board :lol:
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