Has anyone tried iSommolier Smart Decanter?

[barrytfreeman]

I received a smart decanter as a gift this week and was wondering if this really works. Claims to reduce decanting time to minutes by pumping pure oxygen into the decanter.

[larry_schaffer]

My advice - pour a glass into a regular glass, pour some into a ‘regular’ decanter and the rest into the ‘smart’ one and compare and contrast yourself. Repeat with numerous bottles . . .

Cheers

[barrytfreeman]

Thanks Larry. I was planning on something like that but wanted to see if anyone had any experience with it.

[Ravi_Raju]

I have one that was given to me as a gift. It definitely does a good job of decanting wine quickly. However, I think it also “smooths out” some of the secondary and tertiary flavors that you typically get with aged wines and reduces the complexity. I do not use it on anything worthy of aging and typically only on less expensive wines that are really, really tight. It works well in a bind and any harsh tannins will be fully integrated, but I much prefer a regular decanter if you have time.

[alan_weinberg]

I received a smart decanter as a gift this week and was wondering if this really works. Claims to reduce decanting time to minutes by pumping pure oxygen into the decanter.

atmosphere contains 21% oxygen and mostly nitrogen. Pure oxygen is flammable. Medically controlled and licensed product. Where does the device get pure oxygen?

[Kevin_B]

I have no idea how this works, but Oxygen is not flammable. It supports combustion of things that are. Oxygen of industrial grade is available at any welding supply.

[MChang]

I think you should try using this decanter with white burgundy.

[GregT]

As an alternative, or another comparison, put some wine in a blender and whiz it around for a minute. Put it in the freezer for a few minutes because blending it will warm it, and then have someone else pour you samples of each wine so you won’t know what you’re tasting.

You can’t do it yourself because you’ll be looking for confirmation of your preconceptions. But in three different glasses, not knowing which is which, you may have an interesting discovery or two.

[alan_weinberg]

I have no idea how this works, but Oxygen is not flammable. It supports combustion of things that are. Oxygen of industrial grade is available at any welding supply.

thanks for the correction. I always feared that oxygen could be flammable.

[Marc_Hauser]

Wow. $499.

[Al_Osterheld]

Setting aside whether it filters air with no chemical reaction to remove most of the nitrogen, why is that an advantage? There is a certain amount of oxygen in a liter of air (21% with almost all the rest nitrogen), filtering it doesn’t increase the quantity of oxygen. What’s the advantage over simply bubbling a bit more than four times as much air? Why/how would it reduce decanting time from hours to minutes because the oxygen fraction was increased from 21% to 90%? Sounds like bullshit.

-Al

[Alan_Rath]

I received a smart decanter as a gift this week and was wondering if this really works. Claims to reduce decanting time to minutes by pumping pure oxygen into the decanter.

atmosphere contains 21% oxygen and mostly nitrogen. Pure oxygen is flammable. Medically controlled and licensed product. Where does the device get pure oxygen?

Just to be clear, pure oxygen isn’t flammable on its own, but it increases the flammability of anything else that is flammable.

[Alan_Rath]

It’s also not at all clear that more oxygen is a benefit in decanting, as opposed to simply exposing the wine to air to allow volatile compounds to escape.

[David_Glasser]

Setting aside whether it filters air with no chemical reaction to remove most of the nitrogen, why is that an advantage? There is a certain amount of oxygen in a liter of air (21% with almost all the rest nitrogen), filtering it doesn’t increase the quantity of oxygen. What’s the advantage over simply bubbling a bit more than four times as much air? Why/how would it reduce decanting time from hours to minutes because the oxygen fraction was increased from 21% to 90%? Sounds like bullshit.

-Al

Because they get almost $500 for every one they sell?

[Al_Osterheld]

Setting aside whether it filters air with no chemical reaction to remove most of the nitrogen, why is that an advantage? There is a certain amount of oxygen in a liter of air (21% with almost all the rest nitrogen), filtering it doesn’t increase the quantity of oxygen. What’s the advantage over simply bubbling a bit more than four times as much air? Why/how would it reduce decanting time from hours to minutes because the oxygen fraction was increased from 21% to 90%? Sounds like bullshit.

-Al

Because they get almost $500 for every one they sell?

Truce, can’t argue with that logic.

-Al

[Alex_N]

Looks like something you’d find at Brookstone or Sharper Image

[Tom_G_l_a_s_g_o_w]

Looks like something you’d find at Brookstone or Sharper Image

Seems more expensive

[John_Morris]

It’s also not at all clear that more oxygen is a benefit in decanting, as opposed to simply exposing the wine to air to allow volatile compounds to escape.

Exactly. Once again, this pitch embodies the falacy that breathing/decanting is solely about oxygenating the wine.

Also, so far as I know, oxygenating the wine doesn’t soften tannins. If breathing makes tannins appear softer, my guess is that it’s because more volatile aroma compounds are being released from the wine.

[PeterH]

All I’ve learned is-

The maker of this device does not intentionally misspell sommelier.

That is the only positive thing to be said about the product.