Oak is among the best-known woods for smoking, but, as your plant nerd friends can tell you, oak trees form a huge family -- over 500 oak species occur around the world, and the U.S. alone has 90 ...

Twelve different types of hybrid barrels were fashioned for the experiment. “Some turned out to be exceptional, some are a little disappointing…,” Livermore explains.

Depending on the quality and treatment of the wood, winemakers pay around $900 to more than $2,000 CDN for each traditional 225-litre barrel, with French oak versions fetching the most money.