Nice mock-scotch

[distiller_dresden]

I recently (about 7 weeks ago) mashed in an experiment with deathwish's wheat germ recipe, my modified recipe was as follows, shooting for a mock-scotch:

20 oz toasted wheat germ
5 gals water
6 lbs extra light DME
1lb Lyle's black treacle
64 oz peach mango 100% juice
5 lbs homemade invert sugar
1lb caramel malt
Red Star Champagne yeast
Few drops olive oil
1 servomyces capsule
4 g Fermaid K (less than called for due to extra nutrients in wheat germ)

Boiled the wheat germ in 2 gallons water for an hour and a half, then added the caramel malt (ground), continued boiling for a half an hour.
Strained this half-assed, getting most of the solids out but not making a huge effort, just using a hand-held spoon strainer; not a slotted spoon, but the kind
with a big round flat head.
Added this water to my ferment tub. Added rest of ingredients, waited until it was down to 80F, and hydrated my yeast. 20 min later I pitched it.

I ran this at 75F. Took about 12 days. Distilled it, heated a bit too fast and learned DME is a BITCH, had puking from my worm in spite of a thumper in the middle. Dropped heat a lot and needed to run this much slower than I've run anything before. Lesson - DME pukes, and I should have used some gluco-amylase to break down the last of the complex malt sugars, but I think they contributed flavors anyway. Got about 50oz of 120 proof, aged this on 4 light toast French oak cubes, 1 sugar maple domino, 1 med toast American oak domino, for a month (little/days more).

Still aging, though I considered proofing down tonight, and did a tasting.

Wonderful! Slightest hints of caramel, maple, vanilla, oak, stone fruit on the nose. When it first hits the tongue there was a taste of malted caramel then it was gone and it was all smooth scotch, like a single malt, I am not 'well-traveled' in these... I like Glenlivet and recently experienced Auchentoshan Three Wood. It is heavier than Glenlivet, not as piney, I think due to the maple domino and the French oak, but it has the slightest bit of the Three Wood's sweet flavor. However, there is a tremendous lovely mouth feel; it is silky and smooth, almost thick, and it slides down the sides of the glass after coating it like a clear scotch paint. Swallowing and there's a nuttiness and maltiness that's back again, and it warms first in the lower back of my throat, then down my neck. Then it's gone, leaving the memory of it, and leaving me wanting more.

I want to proof it, but I also want to leave it on the wood and see what happens, how much more it can develop and age as it is. This would be the longest I've aged something, and so I want to leave it, I also don't know but I'm sure there is a 'longevity' to the dominoes and cubes I use, I'm sure the cubes are all but spent. Anyway, I wanted to share this recipe because I think this is the best sipping thing I've made so far, I'm really pleased with it. I would immediately put this into a crystal decanter next to my Glenlivet or Auchentoshan and serve to my best friends with pride.

[pigroaster]

I age 18-22 months before I cut down with RO water to 43% ABV or 86 proof.
I also add home smoked peat barley with peat from Ireland and 2 row malted malt when I do wheat germ. It will give you a great sipper while you are aging the good stuff. Well done!

[JellybeanCorncob]

Hey Dresden: congratulations on your success. A little over 2 years ago I switched to all grain and never looked back. Just now am I experiencing the fruits of my labor. I’m sipping on some Honey Bear Bourbon that has been on oak for 12 months, yikes it’s good. My scotch I probably won’t even taste for a year. Needless to say I’ve got a lot of liquor aging . I feel that there is no better whiskey than all grain. It seems as though you love making liquor. So why not take the leap into all grain and patience. You won’t regret it. If you can save some of your moc-scotch and hide it. Then make the real deal and down the road compare the two. I think you will notice a difference.
Take care
JBC

[pigroaster]

I agree.Time is your friend if you have it. Honey bear is on the list! I have been brewing since 1971 so not much aging time left! Enjoy the journey and do not discount the wait. It pays off to let the oak do it's thing at all ABV's. I start at 63 ABV and 6 months later go to 53 ABv and finally go to 43% abv because I like the sweet spot. Save some at 53 as it will be special. 6 white oak sticks per gallon will give results better than anything sold. Trust me. here.

[bluefish_dist]

Single malts are so easy, no reason not to do all grain. Just grain and hot water. Malted barley filters quite easy.

I am getting ready to mash in another scotch style, 25% bairds heavy peated malt and 75% Simpsons medium peated malt. Should have a bit more smoke and peat than the 100% medium peat batch that is aging now.

[distiller_dresden]

Appreciate all the input! I have plans to try all grain, I actually have 7lbs of Golden Promise I've been saving for a couple months, I want to get some Fermentis M-1 yeast to do it since that's the 'scotch' yeast used pretty commonly by a lot of scotch distilleries in Scotland. I'll be skipping the smoked/peated though, I am not a fan of any smoky/peaty scotches I've ever had. They're just not for me, those flavors really play hell with my palate in a scotch. I like them clean.

I'm hoping to get a couple of BadMo barrels soon that I will plan to use for long term rum and a long term scotch with that Golden Promise, I'm thinking...