Our Name
We found a map of our farm land from the early 20th century and at one time there was a dirt road running through it called Cinder Lane. Seemed fitting since we're toasting wood from the trees on the farm.
How We Started
We like the science of figuring out how to make things better and faster. We also like to drink bourbon and whiskey. After touring many distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail a few years ago we learned a lot about making whiskey. But we were most interested in barrel-aging: the process of taking a clear distilled spirit to an aged whiskey.
The Whiskey Aging Process
Traditionally, whiskey or bourbon takes 4 to 7 years to age in a barrel after distillation. The American white oak wood of the barrel, and time itself, are what produce the unique color and flavor of whiskey. We wanted to find a way produce the same great whiskey, without waiting years to age in barrels. Our founder, Dr. Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, is a scientist so he started experimenting with clear distilled spirits and the effects of different blends of toasted wood on those spirits. After many trials we were astonished with the results and it started our completely new approach of aging whiskey. With just the right measurements of wood and distilled liquor we found a way to replicate the taste, color and aroma of a premium whiskey in just ONE week.
Over the course of 18 months we conducted blind taste tests with 65 combinations of blends, toasts and sizes of wood chips that he put together. And the panel tasted those blends at different time intervals. The goal? To achieve the taste of Dr. Rutledge's favorite bourbon, Woodford Reserve by fooling our panel of taste testers. Blend #8 was everyone's favorite and at Day 4 most of the tasters thought it was the Woodford Reserve.
From the Founder
Hi, thanks for your interest in Whiskey in a Week. I’m a neuroscientist and entrepreneur. I grew up on a farm, went to Rutgers and Harvard Business School and finished at MIT with a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. I teach and do research in both CNS regeneration and nanotechnology.
Whiskey In A Week is more a labor of love and a way to figure out how to make something new that has its roots from centuries ago. I also wanted you to be able to produce the flavor you like, not what the manufacturer wants you to drink. I like a flavor profile that has some vanilla and caramel, while not being overpowered with a tannin flavor. If you use a corn- or rye-based clear spirit you’ll get a little underlying sweetness in the final product.
We don’t make the alcohol, we enable you to make the alcohol better and customize the flavor that you enjoy. I hope you enjoy both the process and the final product you produce.
Thank you for your interest and please share with us your whiskey discoveries. If you have any comments or suggestions, I look forward to hearing from you!
Warm regards,
Rutledge Ellis-Behnke
We found a map of our farm land from the early 20th century and at one time there was a dirt road running through it called Cinder Lane. Seemed fitting since we're toasting wood from the trees on the farm.
How We Started
We like the science of figuring out how to make things better and faster. We also like to drink bourbon and whiskey. After touring many distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail a few years ago we learned a lot about making whiskey. But we were most interested in barrel-aging: the process of taking a clear distilled spirit to an aged whiskey.
The Whiskey Aging Process
Traditionally, whiskey or bourbon takes 4 to 7 years to age in a barrel after distillation. The American white oak wood of the barrel, and time itself, are what produce the unique color and flavor of whiskey. We wanted to find a way produce the same great whiskey, without waiting years to age in barrels. Our founder, Dr. Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, is a scientist so he started experimenting with clear distilled spirits and the effects of different blends of toasted wood on those spirits. After many trials we were astonished with the results and it started our completely new approach of aging whiskey. With just the right measurements of wood and distilled liquor we found a way to replicate the taste, color and aroma of a premium whiskey in just ONE week.
Over the course of 18 months we conducted blind taste tests with 65 combinations of blends, toasts and sizes of wood chips that he put together. And the panel tasted those blends at different time intervals. The goal? To achieve the taste of Dr. Rutledge's favorite bourbon, Woodford Reserve by fooling our panel of taste testers. Blend #8 was everyone's favorite and at Day 4 most of the tasters thought it was the Woodford Reserve.
From the Founder
Hi, thanks for your interest in Whiskey in a Week. I’m a neuroscientist and entrepreneur. I grew up on a farm, went to Rutgers and Harvard Business School and finished at MIT with a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. I teach and do research in both CNS regeneration and nanotechnology.
Whiskey In A Week is more a labor of love and a way to figure out how to make something new that has its roots from centuries ago. I also wanted you to be able to produce the flavor you like, not what the manufacturer wants you to drink. I like a flavor profile that has some vanilla and caramel, while not being overpowered with a tannin flavor. If you use a corn- or rye-based clear spirit you’ll get a little underlying sweetness in the final product.
We don’t make the alcohol, we enable you to make the alcohol better and customize the flavor that you enjoy. I hope you enjoy both the process and the final product you produce.
Thank you for your interest and please share with us your whiskey discoveries. If you have any comments or suggestions, I look forward to hearing from you!
Warm regards,
Rutledge Ellis-Behnke