Original Master Infuser, 750ml

The Oak Bottle pleased me both with its handsome charm and functionality. It looks pleasing enough to be put on display, and will certainly attract some attention, if not questions from admirers. It not only adds an entire new dimension of quality to the spirits you put inside (also beer or wine, according to the company), but also gives one a sense of personal engagement in the crafting of one's own custom creations. It is simply a must-have for liquor connoisseurs and enthusiasts. My Oak Bottle unexpectedly arrived within just a couple days, even with the standard shipping option. Even upon extracting it, I was impressed with its weight and solid construction. From the pictures, I expected the metal bands to be more polished and chrome-like, although the machined metal bands do still have a nice shine to them; they have a slightly more rugged look: less elegant showpiece than it is rugged maritime or old distillery charm (and charming it is). The metal rings of mine were a tiny bit dinged and marred (obviously before assembly, since my oak wood is unmarked), but this doesn't detract from the look at all (and will likely go unnoticed by the average viewer). However, let's be honest - the real demand for this treasure isn't how it looks on the outside, but what it does on the inside. Following the provided instructions, I let my Oak Bottle soak for hours to let the wood settle and to identify leaks, and my Oak Bottle proved watertight. (I did note that the cork stopper leaked if completely inverted. I attempted to seal the grooves inside the mouth of the bottle to no avail. Mine does not drip at all if lying sideways, however, so this is truly not an issue, since I don't intend to season my spirits upside-down. Just a warning for travelers and zero-gravity enthusiasts.) Heed the company's advice and periodically test your spirit as it infuses. My first trial run with rye was a great success, perhaps a little too successful. At 5 hours, a mild but noticeable change of character had occurred. At 9 hours, the change was distinct - a slightly darker colour, considerably mellowed, and definitely oaken. At 12 hours, the rye was (to all tasters' agreement) perfectly infused - the oak was distinct and warm, but not overwhelming, was mellower still and tasted less spicy and dry; the colour was discernibly richer and darker. At 15 hours, we decided the infusion was a bit too long - the rye was so mellow and smooth it lacked its original character. Fortunately, we have more bottles and can simply blend it back to perfection. It can only be restated, then, that the Oak Bottle works fast and works well. The Oak Bottle currently only offers custom engraving on the 375ml versions, but I await a 750ml offering with great anticipation. One of these bottles simply isn't enough.

It does work well, adding some nice flavour to lower priced Scotch. I recommend soaking and rinsing it a few times before first use, as the interior has a bit of a smell that transfers to the Scotch. A few days of changing the water helped remove much of the odour.

Bought this sweet little ditty thinking my husband would finally love something I bought for him...it’s still in the box and I bought it at Christmas. But he tells people about it so I think that’s an 8/10 for purchases!

After reading some reviews I was a little hesitant to purchase the product because people were complaining that their bottles were cracking during the swelling process. I am happy to say my bottle did not crack during the process. I did have very small leaks on the bottom of the bottle but the oak bottle wax stopped the leaks instantly. It is currently drying out so that I can put my first bottle of whiskey to age. I'll update the review after I have had my first sip of whiskey after it has been aged. Update 9/26/2016 I put a bottle of Johnnie Walker double black in the oak bottle on Thursday night and on Saturday night I couldn't believe the difference. I had a new bottle of double black to do a side by side comparison and was amazed at how it improved the taste. I would definitely recommend you buying this. I was hesitant to buy because of some of the reviews that included the bottle cracking during the swelling process but I only had small leaks. I would hope that if yours cracks you can get your money back.

Was very please with this product, gave it as a gift, recipient was very happy! Does what it's supposed to, you can really taste the difference in just a few hours! Looking forward to buying another with a fruit flavor already infused!