Pioneer Pure Malt Speakers

[admin]

"I'll have a pair of those Pioneer's, straight up!" That was my first thought when Pioneer asked if I would be interested in reviewing a pair of their Pure Malt Speakers, whose cabinets are made from 50 year old retired malt whiskey barrels. Apparently Pioneer has sold these speakers for years in Japan, and last year began to offer them for sale in the USA exclusively via their website. I have never thought of Pioneer as a speaker company. I am aware that they have made speakers for years, but to be honest, I have never considered them when shopping for speakers. But how can I resist the opportunity to audition what appeared to me to be a unique custom product such as these?


Discuss "Pioneer Pure Malt Speakers" here. Read the article.

[j_garcia]

Those things are so cool and gorgeous looking. I read about them previously and thought it was a very interesting idea. Thanks for the review.

[birdonthebeach]

Certainly a luxury item - but yes, VERY cool......

[Buckle-meister]

Re the article, a few minor corrections:

...each speaker has its own unique look due to all of the slats...

They're called staves.

Pioneer says that it takes an entire whisky barrel...

Here, whisky is spelt the Scottish way but...

...enjoy listening to your music through speakers that may, in a former life, have been used to age that glass of whiskey in your hand

Here, it's spelt the American way.

Some general comments:

If you are looking for a conversation piece...

Well, you could point out that the wood the speakers are made from, Oak, is back in the country it almost certainly originated from; America.

...to produce each pair of Pure Malts

Or, you could point out that calling the speakers Pure Malts was in very bad taste, recalling as it does the fiasco with Cardhu some time ago.

[j_garcia]

So you are saying we buy French oak for making wine here but they buy American oak for making whiskey/whisky over there?

[Buckle-meister]

Originally Posted by j_garcia

So you are saying we buy French oak for making wine here but they buy American oak for making whiskey/whisky over there?

Actually, we use your rejects.

Scotch is always matured in oak casks, nowadays nearly always American oak because it's easy to come by.

However, although Scotch whisky is matured in oak casks, the oak mustn't be new wood. If it was, it'd result in far too raw a taste of whisky. Instead, Scotch whisky is matured in, usually, spent American bourbon casks.

This works out just fine because, as I understand matters, by law American distillers are not permitted to use a cask more than once for bourbon, and Scotch distillers require used casks...

For this reason, after a first-fill of bourbon, the casks are dismantled, exported and reassembled in the U.K., ready to be filled with whisky. Where do you think whisky gets some of its colour from?

Of course cherry casks are also used in so called double-matured whiskies. Here, the greater part of maturation takes place in American oak casks before being tranferred to cherry casks for a short period prior to bottling. Again, the cherry wood will have an effect on the final colour of the whisky and, of course, its taste.

[j_garcia]

Interesting, didn't know they used "used" casks for whisky. Wine makers normally resuse casks for a few years as well (possibly cleaning and re-toasting between uses), then sell them to "second teir" wine makers who scrape and re-toast the cask for use. I was literally shocked at how much one French oak cask costs!! Anywhere from $600-800ish, possibly more.

LOL, all this discussion and not much about the speakers....haha.

[Buckle-meister]

Originally Posted by j_garcia

...didn't know they used "used" casks for whisky. Wine makers normally resuse casks for a few years as well (possibly cleaning and re-toasting between uses)...

Yeah, Scotch distilleries reuse the casks generally up to three (I think) times before the cask is said to be exhausted, at which point the staves may be re-charred and used for something else (not sure what).

Originally Posted by j_garcia

LOL, all this discussion and not much about the speakers...

Aye. We'd better call it a day methinks.

[mkossler]

Well, just maybe one more

I believe one can find used sherry casks also employed for a single malt or two, as well. Produces quite a nice color and mellow flavor.

The speakers are very cool. I hope their small size and their bracing offsets the inevitable resonances I'd expect from 100% hardwood cabinet construction the thickness of a whisk(e)y barrel.

[billnchristy]

Yes, Macallan 25 uses Sherry casks.