Time trials for UJSM oat whiskey

[punkin]

HopeYouPutATailOnItPunkin

Punkin, I can't count the numbers of times your little sign-off lines have made my day. Thanks, once again.

My pleasure to amuse, Sir.












TakesASmallBowAndExitsStageRightPunkin

[Aidas]

Thanks for the good wishes, guys

Also, I also look forward to Punkin's signoffs. Don't always get 'em, but...

Aidas

[Aidas]

First of all, it's a boy! Our second. Beautiful, healthy and a joy to have.

Ok, now back to business. 10 weeks on oak.

Color: Deep orange gold. Sort of a late summer, early fall sort of gold. Makes you feel like you're walking near a field of ripe barley

Nose: Overripe honeydew melon. Overripe in the sense that it's really really fragrant -- not going bad yet, just at its sweetest. There's green apple behind it. The smell is a wonderful blend of fresh and sweet.

Taste: Sweet and smooooooth. There's a satisfying tannic-iness to it, just a touch. The mouthfeel is almost full, rounded. It's reminiscent of a nice calvados.

With a splash:

Nose: There's that pear again. Wow, it comes right out at you. It's so THERE that it's hard to say what notes are coming behind it. Maybe green apple, maybe something else, but it's a sweet smell too.

Taste: Even sweeter now. Very smooth. There's a butteriness to it, and the oak is finally coming through, I can definitely feel it. It's just a ping on the tastebuds, really faint, but it's there.

I think I'll keep going (I'm starting to feel like I'm at a casino where I've been winning at blackjack, and I know my luck has to turn at some point, but it hasn't yet ). It's a quality drink, and I've got a bottle from every two weeks, so even if it goes too far, I can always pick my week and oak the younger ones up to that week. I can't really remember if any week was not to my taste (besides white dog), so it's all good. Besides, it's a great excuse to have a snort on a Sunday...

When I do decide to line 'em up and do a comparison tasting, it'll get ugly... at least 5 (6 in two weeks, 7 in four, etc) snifters. That's what, about 250 (300, 350, etc) mililiters of sniffing, tasting, sniffing, tasting? It's a cheap date -- tasting intensively increases the effect, I think. I always have a bit of a buzz after this tasting, even though the total amount is equivelant to just a shot...

Aidas

[CoopsOz]

Congrats Aidas, I wish you and your family all the best.

[Usge]

congrats Aidas.

[HookLine]

Third that. All the best.

Time for more nappy patrol, and sleepless nights, huh? The fun bits.

[punkin]

All the best for you and yours, Mate.













ToldYaYou'dPutATailOnItPunkin

[Tater]

congratulations

[big worm]

congrats...wish mine had stayed small...them was the days,never ferget how blessed ya are.

[punkin]

congrats...wish mine had stayed small...them was the days,never ferget how blessed ya are.

It'll come good again mate.
If you taught em well, they'll come round in their own time.

The lessons are still there, and you've lived by example










NotThatIWantToStrayOffTopicPunkin

[Aidas]

OK, so it's been more than two weeks. So fire me...

Color -- deep gold, a heavy honey.

Nose -- sweet, fruity -- citrusy, caramely. A nice fresh nose.

Taste -- At first there's nothing there (I thought, what? where'd everything go? Is it just smooth but tasteless?) Then the warmth of the wood came through. Then the nuttiness. And it was slick going down.

With a splash:

Nose -- That pear and green apple is back!

Taste -- Nuts. It's really warm, a touch sweet, and reallllllly smooth. There's a definite candy-ness to it, but there's not really any specific flavor that I can point to. I'm not getting any citrus notes, not getting any other fruits. It's good, but it's gotten simpler, I think.



I have no idea what to make of this. All I know is that this is going to have be be repeated with other whiskeys, because it is so fascinating how it develops.

Aidas

[BW Redneck]

So, Aidas, do you have an update? Its been way more than a month. If you've decided to stop aging them and blend together what you want, then tell us.

[Aidas]

Actually, I haven't stopped ageing it. I've just been so busy with the new baby and the garden, that I just haven't had time to drink

This weekend should be pretty cold, so I figure I'll get to it then -- less time for the garden, and when the kids go to bed, I'll do a tasting.

Sorry for the delay.

Aidas

[Aidas]

OK. I'm back in the saddle. I've lost count as to how long it's been since being put on wood, but I'll just check the old posts later.

Neat --
Color: Deep honey golden with a tinge of brown at the middle and bottom of the snifter (yes, I am using a snifter for these tastings).

Nose: First thing is the caramel. Then a spicy warm melony, peary smell.

Taste: Wood. It's slightly astringent at the front of the mouth, and much more so at the throat, and doesn't really have any discernable tastes.

With a splash:

Nose: Sweet candy. Overripe pear.

Taste: Sweet, woody. At the back of the throat, there's a definite astringency. The water didn't open up any flavors -- there's not really anything there anymore.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have, I do believe, finally reached the point, where it is finally really overoaked. All of the interesting and often nice flavors of grass, apple, pear, melon, whatever I felt earlier are all gone.

Damn. Well, it's a good thing there's not much left of the stuff, and that I saved a bottle from each tasting. Now, at my leisure, I will go back and taste from those bottles and decide which was the best. It won't be anytime soon, as I find that I rarely have a chance to have even one... (damn it's tough being a responsible dad... ) But I'll let you all know when I do.

Cheers!

Aidas

[punkin]

Damn. Well, it's a good thing there's not much left of the stuff, and that I saved a bottle from each tasting. Now, at my leisure, I will go back and taste from those bottles and decide which was the best. It won't be anytime soon, as I find that I rarely have a chance to have even one... (damn it's tough being a responsible dad... ) But I'll let you all know when I do.

Cheers!

Aidas

I for one hope that it will be soon, sorta makes the whole thing pointless for us if you don't

[Aidas]

I for one hope that it will be soon, sorta makes the whole thing pointless for us if you don't

Actually, I don't agree. I think that the whole point of these time trials is to see how the ageing process affected the spirit, and for others to (maybe) glean some information regarding where (timewise) an oat whiskey (or by analogy another type) might be at its optimum.

Looking back at my tasting notes, I'm thinking that 10 weeks was prime. It had the most nose and taste -- complicated and interesting.

Lining up 5 snifters and having a go at them is an iffy tasting proposition at best. By the 2nd or 3rd snifter (even just barely tasteing), the nose tires and the rest of the tasting is not as aware as the earlier ones. That's why I started this thread -- so that each tasting would be a complete one.

Aidas

Soundslikepunkinshavingabaddaypunkin.

[punkin]

It was the 'decide which one was best' thing i was interested in mate.

You just pulled out week 10, so that answers that question.









GottaWeekOffToPlayWithMyStillHavingATopDayPunkin

[Aidas]

Truth be told, I'm a bit surprised that week 10 ended up being my favorite. I was under the impression (by others who'd made oat whiskey before) that only slight oaking would be better. Obviously, personal taste is paramount here -- I like wood, I like caramel and vanilla. You're not going to get that in a short time. On the other hand, if one is looking for more profile coming from the distillate itself, rather than it going together with the wood, you're going to like the younge stuff more.

I highly suggest others do this with their product. But do it as "snobbily" as possible... what I mean is, that one should really delve into the nose and the taste like in wine-tasting. There's no shame in getting past "this is good shit" and noticing the grassiness, or the subtle fruit notes that our whiskeys have. Someday, I hope to go UJ's route and go legit. I've learned so much from this forum that I know I can make better stuff than commercial, and I'd like the broader public to have the opportunity to have better stuff than Jack or whatever... we're good enough for that folks.

Myapologiesifioffendedpunkin.

Aidas

[trthskr4]

Just did my preliminary cuts on my Oat UJSM, stripped 4 gens. and tossed all in sans fores with the 5th gen wash. Today it has a little bite to it but I think that's just the high proof talking to my tongue. The 65% and below has a feel of warm butter as it hits the mouth and just seems to coat it and then dissipates slowly over a few seconds. I love the mouth feel of it, I'm gonna let it air for another day and do final cuts on it and start from the tails and work my way up to put on toasted oak for a gallon, then up from there I'm going to put it on charred oak to try and mellow it out a bit and check it every 30 days. Got a 5L barrel awaiting something to keep it wet.

[Aidas]

I'm going to put it on charred oak to try and mellow it out a bit and check it every 30 days. Got a 5L barrel awaiting something to keep it wet.

So if this batch works nice, you're going to barrel a new batch? That'd be interesting to do time trials too, and see how barrel ageing differs timewise from sticks.

Also, I do suggest checking the progress every two weeks. As you noticed from this thread, the changes are pretty quick, and 30 day intervals might be too big, where you could skip the point where it's perfect.

Aidas

[trthskr4]

My barrels are medium toast so I figured they'd take a little longer but you're right it still might get missed at 30 day intervals. Yes I'm planning on another batch for the barrel and another barrel for cooked oat batch. You've inspired me there Aidas. The earlier part of the run I decided on putting on charred oak instead of toasted to try to mellow the bite it has.

[junkyard dawg]

You will need to keep a close eye on anything going into a new barrel. They add flavor fast. Check often.