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Blog Taste the colour of smoked oak
Can you taste the colour of oak? Yes if you imagine it as a crackling fire where you warm yourself with a glass of good-quality Scotch whisky in your hand. Or as the taste of dark bitter chocolate melting on your tongue. That is the intense colour of ”peated” oak. A colour that defies any other description. Let me tell you more about it in this blog.
Oak, whisky and peat
On the Scottish isle of Islay − ever since time immemorial − peat has been harvested to heat homes, to cook, and to distil whisky. According to an age-old formula the barley for a good whisky is dried over peat smoke. The barley absorbs the colour and the aroma of the peat and this gives the whisky its distinct smoked flavour. The whisky is stored in oak barrels to mature. Whisky, oak and peat are thus inextricably linked. The distinctive deep brown colour of aged oak resembles the colour of peat and this is why we have given it that name.
Seasoned oak
We prefer oak with a seasoned, authentic look. Vintage is the current trend and if possible we would prefer to use old oak for all our projects. Unfortunately it is not always available in sufficient quantities. Sometimes we are unable to source the right shade or the dimensions are wrong. Then aged oak is the solution. We have developed a procedure at Elder Oak that is chemical-free, enabling us to give the oak the natural appearance of wood that is very old. We can create several patinas, light, medium or dark, depending on the duration of the process. The darker greyish-brown version looks like peat on the outside, which is why we have named it peat. The ageing process penetrates to the core of the wood where the colour becomes even darker. The heart of "peated" oak has a rich, deep colour resembling dark bitter chocolate.
Endless combinations
Thanks to its timeless character, aged oak can be used anywhere. The warm appearance of oak can be perfectly combined with a modern clean-cut or light interior. Furniture in the colour peat is also suitable in more classic surroundings. At Elder Oak we have a wide choice of oak for tabletops and furniture, parquet floors, wall units, stair components and doors. If you are interested in aged oak or if you have any questions about the specific peat colour after reading this blog, please ask your question via the contact form at www.elder-oak.nl, or call us at +31 (0)6-53155877. I Iook forward to telling you even more about this product.
