Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Apothic Inferno Ignites Complex Flavors

Apothic Inferno is a small batch, limited production wine that is aged in used whiskey barrels. Does the wine live up to the hype?

What’s The Buzz?


I didn’t realize that Apothic Inferno is creating a bit of a frenzy until I visited my local wine shop. I was in Walt Churchill’s Market in Perrysburg speaking to the wine manager Mario Salpietro. The conversation turned to the new release Apothic Inferno. He mentioned that he was able to score a small supply of the wine – but many other stores were having difficulty getting it at all.

Apothic Red took the everyday wine world by storm a few years ago. It is a nice drinking red blend that delivers taste well above its price. Since then Apothic has had a number of brand extensions including Apothic White, Apothic Crush and Apothic Dark. In this age of Millennial wine marketing, however, a wine’s time in the spotlight can be limited as purchasers move on to the next “big thing.”

Apothic Inferno and Burgers


Apothic Inferno is a red blend – the particular grapes I wasn’t able to discover. I’m sure there must be Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel – probably Merlot as well. But the claim to fame of this wine, is its whiskey soul. It is aged in used whiskey barrels for 60 days.

We think that is fabulous. I like the idea of craft beverage makers sharing resources. It seems very sustainable. There are whiskey barrel beers and some spirits aged in wine barrels. The proof, though, is in the bottle.

We weren’t sure what to pair with this “flaming” wine, so we opted for some gourmet burgers made with pork. Green Dragon and I sat down with a bodacious burger and a full glass of Apothic Inferno.

I was a bit skeptical, not expecting to have an out-of-body experience with a $16.99 wine. The Inferno immediately won us over. Medium garnet red in the glass, the whiskey barrel heritage is evident in the bouquet. 

On the tongue it is very expressive, with a touch of smoky sweetness. As we sipped and noshed on the burgers, Green Dragon declared that this is a wine she would buy again. There are layers of maple flavor and a great deal of depth. It’s an interesting wine that piques the curiosity.

Apothic Inferno is hot, hot, hot. It may not replace a 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet – but it delivers drinking satisfaction by the boatload.This is a limited production wine, so we recommend that you purchase multiple bottles when you find it. There’s no guarantee you’ll see it in the store again.

Full disclosure: We received this wine as a marketing sample.

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