I've had something very similar happen with no microwave involved, holding the temperature at 67C for six days. It turned out the color of Coke. It happened the first time I used a new batch of oak. It makes a great essence at about a 1:3 ratio.BoomTown wrote:Temptation got the better of me, and well ... I took a slash!
What I learned: I think putting the oak stick in the distilling, and then into the Microwave was a mistake. The whiskey darkened very rapidly, in 10 days it turned a very beautiful dark brown with amber hues when held up to the light. The aroma was too oaky, and the taste was a massive experience of tannin saturated alcohol. My assumption is that it got a head start, but the intensity of the tannins released may never be managed by the oak stick. I immediately dumped the whole jar into a twice used barrel, and will top it off with 120 to 140p distilling at the earliest opportunity. I loved the color, but the tannins were a deal breaker.
The problem was simply that, for this batch of wood, I had used too much.