Recently I wrote in The Daily about how air is the friend of wine, but that aeration can help your spirits, too. I’ve noted in many reviews myself that spirits — especially tequila — can improve if you let them sit in the glass for an hour or two. There are plenty of gadgets out there that can give you a shortcut to decanting or otherwise aerating a wine, but spirits haven’t received the same focus.

Until now, thanks to Vinturi, whose wine aerators are well regarded (even by me). Vinturi recently released a Spirit Aerator, and the operation is pretty much what you expect: Booze goes in the top, air gets sucked in through the sides, and the whiskey or whatnot is deposited into your glass. The only difference with this iteration of the aerator idea is a magnetic locking system that lets you pour the spirit, have it held in the upper basin, then release it into the glass only when you push the button. There are also measurement lines in the upper basin so you can use the Vinturi Spirit as a makeshift jigger.

Vinturi sent me one of these and I tried it out for myself. I used a pretty tough and burly whiskey — Woodford Reserve Double Oaked — that I figured would benefit from a little air in it. I compared it to the same whiskey poured straight from the bottle, using the same pour amount and an identical glass.

Sampling them blind, there were clear differences between the two whiskeys, starting right with the nose: One had a heavy alcoholic burn — lots of vapor in the glass — and the other had more of what you’re looking for in a Bourbon: wood, fruit, vanilla. The effect was slightly less pronounced on the body, though the latter whiskey tasted milder, with more fruit (cherry and apple) components to it. Clear victory to Vinturi — unless you really like boozy alcohol characteristics.

Two things worth noting by way of caveat, though. First: If you have a Vinturi wine aerator, you can get the same effect by using it without buying a separate gadget (you just miss out on the release button). Second: The effect fades over time as non-aerated spirits open up naturally. Still, this device offers a very handy and effective shortcut at bringing out the best in any spirit.

A- / $34 / [BUY IT FROM AMAZON]

Vinturi Spirit Aerator

$34

9

Rating

9.0/10

BUY IT NOW

About Post Author

Christopher Null

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company.

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