Honey as smoothing agent

[CoopsOz]

I've read on the parent site that honey can be used as a smoothing/aging agent. It is also used to replicate a Wild Turkey Bourbon. What type of honey is used? The only readily available (read:supermarket) honey around these parts is eucalyptus honey (I think). The bottle just says "Australian Honey".

Now my problem, every time I use honey it is way to strong, even when used sparingly.

Does anyone have any pointers? What sort of honey and how much?

Thanks
Coops

[wineo]

Im in the states,and use clover honey.You just have to use it spairingly.
It takes a while to disolve in the liquer,so add a very small amount,And give it a week to get all blended together good.Then taste it,and repeet if it needs more.Its easy to overdue it.
wineo

[pintoshine]

honey has such subtle variations that it is hard even for a producer to tell what the source was except for the color. If you have a light colored standard honey then you are ok. Sue Bee is the largest producer in the states and theirs is mostly orange, almond and avocado honey. It is OK but is light and standardized. The sweetness is what you are after for the aging component. It is sort of like wine. What I call sweet and what a oenologist(wikipedia) calls sweet are two different worlds. With the honey you just want the slightest hint of sweetness. I am guessing you are looking for mellow and not sweet. Mellow is just enough sweetness to offset the lack of sweetness in the aged spirits. I use deeply charred wood and get the sweetness from that. I gave wineo some. Maybe he can define the results better than I can. The white oak has an inherent sweetness when it is deeply charred. I try to bring out the caramelization and the sugars also. It takes about 60% abv to get the sweetness out of the charred wood. How is your wood working out?

[wineo]

Hey pint,I used some of those sticks in my irish whiskey,but the proof wasnt high enough to test there full potencial.I still have some,and plan on using some on my oat whiskey,at a higher proof.I still have to do 2 more runs to have enough for my spirit run,and will use them to see how much sweetness i can get.I cant oak this stuff up too much,because the wood will overpower the oat mildness.I should end up with 4-5 gallons of it
before cutting,so you will have to come see me,and try some.
wineo

[pintoshine]

I should be in your neighborhood around the fourth of july.

[wineo]

Ive got some grape brandy thats good too!
just let me know,and we will get together.
wineo