Smell and taste the difference! Essencia Single Malt Whisky Barrel Chunks are made from wet, freshly-emptied single malt Pokeno Whisky Origin whisky barrels, enabling you to produce 7 litres of smooth NZ infused whisky.

Chunked down from whisky-soaked oak barrels that have aged whisky for 4-10 years, these chunks offer exceptional quality compared to cheaper dry staves or chips. The careful processing retains the charred interior of the barrels, enhancing the oak’s flavour infusion and providing a substantial surface area for your spirit. This ensures rapid and genuine aging. Unlike dry alternatives, Essencia Barrel Chunks impart a rich, authentic single malt whisky flavour without the need for additional flavouring.

Essencia Barrel Chunks can be used to rapidly barrel-age neutral spirit, vodka, pot-distilled bourbon, whiskey, rum or even beer.  We recommend a process of soaking, draining and filtering.  You can test along the way, or blend different batches to your own taste.

1.     SOAKING

First Soaking:

Add 2.5 litres of alcohol per 500g of Essencia Barrel Chunks.

Cover and soak for up to 7 days. Test daily after 4 days.  Drain and Filter as below.

Character: Flavour - High, Colour - Dark, Oak - Low.

Use for: Drinking or blending

Second Soaking:

Add a further 2.3 litres of alcohol per 500g to the used Essencia Barrel Chunks. Cover and soak for up to 19 days. Test daily after 10 days.  Drain and Filter as below.

Character: Flavour - Medium, Colour - Medium, Oak - Medium.

Use for: Drinking or blending

Third Soaking:

Add a further 2.3 litres of alcohol per 500g to the used Essencia Bourbon Barrel Chunks. Cover and soak for 5 - 6 weeks. 

Character: Flavour - Low, Colour - Light, Oak - Heavy.

Use for: Blending, or add 1 x 28ml Essencia Tennessee or Kentucky Bourbon Spirit Flavour for drinking.

2.     DRAINING

Putting the Chunks in a straining bag while soaking them makes the draining process easier. It also reduces the amount of sediment carried over to the filtering phase. A small - fine straining bag is ideal. After draining the Chunks, allow the sediment to settle for a few hours before filtering as this sediment clogs the filter and slows down the process a lot. Ideally the sediment is left until the end of filtering.

3.     FILTERING

Use a coffee filter paper in a funnel, or 2 x cotton wool balls pushed down the neck of a large funnel. This process should take time. The product should only drip out of the filter.

TESTING

Because everyone's tastes are different, the soaking times stated above are suggestions only. To obtain the best results for you, it is suggested that you test your product regularly during the first two soakings. Trying not to disturb any sediment, use a syringe to draw off about 15ml (1 nip) each test and try it. You will notice a marked difference in the character of the product with each test.  

BLENDING

The Essencia Barrel Chunk process not only produces amazing results, it allows you to be the blender, just as they do at the distillery.  Once you have the product from the three soakings, all you need is a syringe, a glass, a notepad and some time, to blend your own personal favourites.