Our search led us to the Vosges forest in France and a mill that makes staves for wine cooperage from slow growth, 195 year-old French Sessile oak. They air-dry the oak outdoors for at least two years to season and evolve the flavours in the wood before toasting it, which creates even more rich, sweet and complex flavours that a wine - or whisky - can draw out. We first used this French oak as inner stave inserts within our casks to age a portion of Highland malt whiskies for a period of secondary maturation, giving the whiskies a rich, deep spice character – and thus, THE SPICE TREE.