Home Distiller

I’m really happy with how this turned out, so thought I'd post up the recipe and some shots. Thanks to Bluto and his 'Amazing Absinthe' post for the inspiration and base ingredients ideas. I started with that and tweaked away after reading as much as I could find on Absinthe. Here's a great resource on all things absinthe with some historical recipes too http://www.feeverte.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I started by making some neutral out of fruit based brandy feints. Redistilled 3 times total in my potstill. I cut very heavy, discarding 1.5 quarts fores/heads and more tails, and ended up with 6 quarts of hearts. There was still a touch of fruit, but it was subtle and certainly didn’t overtake the strong herb character of this drink. The herbs were ordered offline from starwest botanicals, except the mint for coloring was fresh from the fresh produce/herb section at the grocers. I tasted all herbs raw, to get an idea of the flavor and character. The wormwood is REALLY bitter. But the bitterness doesnt come through in the hearts of the distillation run.

Recipe:
6 Quarts Neutral 70%
75 gr Wormwood
58 gr Green Anise
28 gr Star Anise
28 gr Fennel Seed
5 gr Coriander Seed
6 Whole Cloves
6 Black Peppercorns.

Coloring:
14 gr fresh mint


Process:
I put all the herbs and seeds through the coffee grinder to chop em into smaller bits and open up the flavors, and mashed them together in a large bowl with a quart of water into a paste. The paste was then added to the carboy with the neutral to macerate for 55 hours. The distillation run was at a slow trickle, leaving the head off at first and stirring with a long stick for the first several minutes to avoid the herbs settling and scorching. The first half pint brought over a lot of bitterness from the wormwood. Then it mellowed out quick and was really nice. Surprisingly there were tails, even tho I started with very clean neutral the last couple partial quarts at 56% and 42% were funky so I left them out. Yield was 3.75 quarts at 76%. I watered it down very little to bottle at 136 proof. The louche comes out beautiful. The flavor is just as I would have hoped for, strong on the anise, a very subtle bitterness, and lots of other flavors swirling around.

Coloring was done with 1/2 oz fresh green mint soaked overnight in a pint of this. Gave it a bright green color. Looks like it sucked all the green clorophyl right out of the leaves, see below it looks fake like food coloring, but no joke thats all from the fresh mint. Fun recipe, and damn delicious!

Cheers, Jimbo


Edit/Addendum to above - Aug. 2015:
1.) The recipe I put together here was assembled from lots of sources here on HD and across the internet. It has been brought to my attention that some of these sources are full of shit and can result in creating 'bogus recipes'. So if you want to stay true to historical form ditch the black pepper corn, cloves, star anise and the mint used for coloring. Substitute for coloring Lemon Balm, Petite Wormwood and Dried Hyssop Flowers.
2.) Compared to several commercial absinthes, all diluted 4:1, this recipe makes an absinthe 'lighter' in flavor concentration. After re-review of recipes I will make this change on y next batch and recommend others do as well. The base spirit here is 6 liters, reduce this to 4 liters, and/or bump the herb bill qty.
FINALLY: In an excellent tasting session at RandyMarsh's with many commercial absinthes and HD members, found here viewtopic.php?f=47&t=53197 the reports are my absinthe aroma and flavor were in the pocket and delicious, however lighter in flavor concentration, at a 4 to 1 dilution, compared to the commercial absinthes. I have to note that I drink this at a 50/50 dilution (66 proof) because I like a higher alcohol, and the flavor is terrific. Note 4 to 1 puts this and other absinthes at a 33 proof strength or less. If thats your cup of tea, make the change in 2. above to concentrate more flavors. And if youre a purest make the change in 1. above to stay truer to historical form. If you're not too concerned about any of that, make it as is in the recipe above and enjoy, its a fine drop. Many who have tried this at various tastings, incl Bigbob and Woodshed at S3 had nothing but praise.
Cheers,
Jimbo

Ok I got the coloring figured out. Couldnt find Hyssop or Lemon Balm so I just soaked 1/2 oz of fresh green mint in a pint of this absinthe. In 24 hours it was bright green, and added back to the gallon jug added lots of color. I'm surprsed how bright green it came out. The 76% absinthe sucked all the clorophyl right out of the leaves, they look drab now. I added a picture to the recipe thread below at bottom. Cheers.

jimdo64 wrote:Ok I got the coloring figured out. Couldnt find Hyssop or Lemon Balm so I just soaked 1/2 oz of fresh green mint in a pint of this absinthe. In 24 hours it was bright green, and added back to the gallon jug added lots of color. I'm surprsed how bright green it came out. The 76% absinthe sucked all the clorophyl right out of the leaves, they look drab now. I added a picture to the recipe thread below at bottom. Cheers.

What did this do to the flavor?

Very good question, I was worried about that too. It did very little, added a touch of 'fresh' if that makes sense? But very little. The Anise, Star Anise and Fennel is so strong its hard to over power it. All the recipe's I saw used mint for coloring too, Bluto's, and even the historical ones.

I take that 'fresh' comment back. Drinking it now and I dont sense any mint at all. Its prolly there, but its buried. There's some flavors swirling behind the Anise but damned if I can place them back to any of the ingredients.

I hope someone tries this recipe. Im really enjoying this, turned out really damn good.

Cheers.

Looks great! I'm gonna file this one away for later. Thanks Jimdo

You probably didn't see the absinthe fountain Mash Rookie made for me.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... n#p6950654

Wow! That's beautiful work.

Has anyone tried doing it all with fresh herbs instead
Of dried stuff as the flavours are much nicer but I
Would say you would need to use more fresh herbs
And might even get more tails

Now you got me thinking about Absinthe. i had pondered it before, actually talked with a guy here where i live who is a ethno-botanist he mentioned it and thought it would be fun to make. however he didn't know that distilling spirits was illegal. however the local native population used wormwood for various traditional cures, thus our common interest.
i like that label, is it yours? or is there a distillery that is making Denali absinthe? i know there is a distillery in Fairbanks but they make vodka i hear. nice style there...

rastus

Aussie_Distiller1989 wrote:Has anyone tried doing it all with fresh herbs instead
Of dried stuff as the flavours are much nicer but I
Would say you would need to use more fresh herbs
And might even get more tails

The only herb that isint a seed is the wormwood, could be interesting to try. Dont think the wormwood really comes over much tho through the distillation, in the wash its ridiculously bitter, but the drink is not. The coloring herbs, often times mint, hyssop and lemon balm are live green herbs, they need to be green to pull the green clorophyl out for coloring. I couldnt find hyssop or lemon balm so used just the mint and it turned out plenty green.

Rastus wrote:Now you got me thinking about Absinthe. i had pondered it before, actually talked with a guy here where i live who is a ethno-botanist he mentioned it and thought it would be fun to make. however he didn't know that distilling spirits was illegal. however the local native population used wormwood for various traditional cures, thus our common interest.
i like that label, is it yours? or is there a distillery that is making Denali absinthe? i know there is a distillery in Fairbanks but they make vodka i hear. nice style there...

rastus

Rastus, thanks. Ya I make my own labels for fun. Denali is just the street I live on, and I like hiking and mountains so what the hell right, need some kind of name. There's some others sprinkled around in HD, with my recipes and stuff. Cheers.

Jimdo on the lables. I want to collect them all

Your herb bill looks backwards to me - I'd boost the fennel/green anise. And drop the star anise. You'll be happier -- star anise can be overpowering.

kaseijin wrote:Your herb bill looks backwards to me - I'd boost the fennel/green anise. And drop the star anise. You'll be happier -- star anise can be overpowering.

Backwards? Theres twice as much green anise as star anise. Post up your recipe.

Sorry, I was too vague, I guess. It was late, and I was sleepy -- entirely my fault.

I meant lose the star anise entirely, and flip the ratios of green anise and fennel to the wormwood...but I was terribly unclear. It's a common misconception that you need star anise to affect a proper louche, but you can accomplish it with green anise just fine; star anise is just a common shortcut, and it leaves you with a sort of one-dimensional flavor that can easily overpower the subtleties of your other botanicals. Your absinthe will really sing if you lose the star anise; I promise you'll be happy with it.

Pontarlier-style absinthe (one of the more popular varieties) only uses six herbs: Artemisia absinthium, green anise, and fennel in the initial maceration/wash, and Artimisia pontica, lemon balm, and hyssop in the coloration. Generalized ratio of your maceration herbs is typically in the range of one part A.a. to two parts anise and two parts fennel...tweaked to personal tastes and goals.

kaseijin wrote:Sorry, I was too vague, I guess. It was late, and I was sleepy -- entirely my fault.

I meant lose the star anise entirely, and flip the ratios of green anise and fennel to the wormwood...but I was terribly unclear. It's a common misconception that you need star anise to affect a proper louche, but you can accomplish it with green anise just fine; star anise is just a common shortcut, and it leaves you with a sort of one-dimensional flavor that can easily overpower the subtleties of your other botanicals. Your absinthe will really sing if you lose the star anise; I promise you'll be happy with it.

Pontarlier-style absinthe (one of the more popular varieties) only uses six herbs: Artemisia absinthium, green anise, and fennel in the initial maceration/wash, and Artimisia pontica, lemon balm, and hyssop in the coloration. Generalized ratio of your maceration herbs is typically in the range of one part A.a. to two parts anise and two parts fennel...tweaked to personal tastes and goals.

Very interesting, where do you get your herbs and can you share your recipe as well?

Thanks for the detail kaseijin, might have to change my opinion of you after your very first post here in HD Pop in at the welcome center, say hello and tell us a bit about yourself.

Yes, agreed that star anise doesnt really belong there. I looked at a ton of recipes before I settle on that, and I guess I only threw the star anise in because Ive been a long time Pastis fan So its a bit of a bastardized Absinthe recipe. I am very happy with it tho, there are flavors swirling beyond just the anise. Next time around I'll drop the star anise and compare. Thanks for your inputs.

Bushman wrote: Very interesting, where do you get your herbs...?

Some homegrown, and some from http://www.absintheherbs.com. Kirk's not the cheapest, but his herbs are bar-none the best I have found. Organically grown, fragrant, and I know that I'm helping support a fellow enthusiast. His hyssop and A.a. are superlative. He also stocks a particular cultivar of fennel that I like (doux).

Insofar as recipes: I'm happy to post my general Pontarlier-style base formula (the amounts and procedures that I use to tweak from). I keep it as a starting point of sorts; it makes a great absinthe, but usually I deviate from it in some small amount in the pursuit of a specific profile, while keeping notes. What is the protocol for such around here? Post it inline here, or as another topic?

I can post it here, I suppose, and the mods can move it if this is not the appropriate place?


(also yes: those labels are swass as hell)

You can post it here or in your own thread. Im not bothered if its here. But from what you said so far, you could clearly become our resident absinthe guru, so why not start your own and it will quickly grow to become the spot to check here before firing up the absinthe pot cheers.

Done and done!

Devotus is another member that is very knowledgeable unfortunately he has not posted lately but here is one of his threads. We were PMing back and forth for sometime and he taught me alot. Also there is an Absinthe forum that I haven't visited in a while that is worth looking at called the Wormwood Society.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 32&t=25864

Thanks bushman. Looks like he never came back and gave us his recipe. I'll keep my eye peeled. And another beautiful absinthe dispenser artwork thing there, wow. I must get me one of them.

When I put my absinthe recipe together I compiled it from a number of different sources and star anise was usually (not always) a significant component, so I included it it mine. Never having tasted absinthe until I made some I really don't have any way to actually compare. However, it doesn't seem to me that the star anise over powers at all.

Big R

And another beautiful absinthe dispenser artwork thing there, wow. I must get me one of them.

I've been eyeing those as well, but I'm afraid someone on the homefront will end up breaking it on me... if I dont do it myself

fountains for sale

Wow, nice Black Eye. Just did some hunting about, ebay, your link, others. To stay in theme with my labels I need one with a beautfiul absinthe girl, and them babies are $-PRICEY-$. I too might have it busted over my head if I drop a few hundred on an absinthe fountain, glasses, spoons, cane sugar cubes etc.

Hmmmm....... on the other hand, find out what they dont like, and give them plenty of it.

jimdo64 wrote:Thanks bushman. Looks like he never came back and gave us his recipe. I'll keep my eye peeled. And another beautiful absinthe dispenser artwork thing there, wow. I must get me one of them.

He may have PMed me the recipe, I will check.

Here is a supplier of herbs in the US.

http://www.absintheherbs.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Another forum that you might be interested in. The reason I say that is they are tough and critique different brands so if you want to buy a quality absinthe to do taste comparisons.

http://www.feeverte.net/forum/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Excellent thanks bushman