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\ ˈō-kē 
\
\Definition of oaky
1 of wine : having the characteristics of being aged in oak casks
an oaky chardonnay
2 : of, relating to, or having many oaks
an oaky forest
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Examples of oaky in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Chardonnay, in particular, has a rough reputation for being overly oaky and buttery, whereas a Sauvignon Blanc is oft criticized for being too grassy and vegetal.
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Rachel King, Fortune, "Why your next bottle of rosé probably won’t be French," 13 June 2020 They may not be traditionally known for the grape when compared to winemakers in Napa Valley, who defined the now stereotypical, buttery, oaky style for the white wine.
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Stephanie Cain, Fortune, "Meet the new American Chardonnay," 11 Apr. 2020 Fortunately the beer dried out ever so slightly in the finish: a touch of oaky-fruity astringency that lent completion to the sip.
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Josh Noel, chicagotribune.com, "Twitter plea leads to a tasting of (some) 2019 Bourbon County Stouts — here’s what to expect," 19 Nov. 2019 One of the first witnesses, acting Ukraine ambassador William B. Taylor Jr., sounded somewhat like the legendary newscaster — a bourbon barrel of a baritone, mellow and oaky with age.
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Monica Hesse, Washington Post, "What does female authority sound like? Marie Yovanovitch and Fiona Hill just showed us.," 22 Nov. 2019 On the palate, V.S.O.R. shows that same maple and cocoa character, but also notes of dark fruit, brown banana and creme brulee, accented with a finish that’s oaky, boozy and rife with rye spice.
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Josh Noel, chicagotribune.com, "Revolution Brewing won gold at FOBAB over the weekend. You can taste that beer Friday.," 11 Nov. 2019 Vintages receiving a perfect score could quadruple their prices—which meant that there was strong financial incentive to make the kind of jammy and oaky high-alcohol wines that appealed to Parker’s palate.
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Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, "How Natural Wine Became a Symbol of Virtuous Consumption," 18 Nov. 2019 Spirits include a robust list of tequilas; a house margarita is improved by substituting Herredura anejo, with its oaky-smoky-fruity flavor.
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Rand Richards Cooper, courant.com, "Review: Lucky Taco Cantina and Tap Room in Manchester wows with its creative takes on tacos," 19 Sep. 2019 Before long, the deliciously oaky brandy from Cognac spread to other countries and put the region on the map as a hotbed for booze.
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Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics, "How Cognac Is Made (and How to Enjoy It)," 4 June 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oaky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for oaky
The first known use of oaky was in 1632
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