Store Bought Flavoring- Whats hot & whats not

[rumbaba]

I have tried quite a few, Punkin. I have them all written down-ingredients, quantities,time etc. I will post a recipe tomorrow, the books out in the shed at the moment and its 12.15 at night-I'm about to turn into a punkin
oops, I meant pumpkin

Thanks, mate. I'm still trying to figure the rum out as good as the UJSM. Playing with fruit atm, so i will write your recipe down and play with it in a couple of weeks

Appreciate the effort

Finally back- life can some time be an interuption. Here is the simplest recipe I have used, and so far it has produced the best product:
Infuse 3 Kg white sugar with whole vanilla bean(1-2) a grated nutmeg and a cinnamon stick. Let it sit for a couple of days. I then chuck this in a pot with 4 litres of water(thats the capacity of the pot, not a scientific measurement) and bring to the simmer to get all the flovour from the spices into the solution. I pour this over 2kg mollassis(feed grade is all I use) to melt the sludge. Add water to a total of 10l of water. Adjust S.G to 16.5-17%. I use a blend of 3:2:1 ec1118, EZfirm and Lowans bakers yeast. I dont know whtY I chose those specific quantities, I think my logic was EC1118 for Abv, EZfirm to kick start it and Lowans just cause.
After 50ml foreshots(discard) I reserve 200ml heads and then take the rest till 70%. Anything after that I rerun with the heads. Any thing I get under 70% I have found to give me a cloudy product on dilution.
I let my yield air for a day then dilute to 53%, add vanilla bean, 1 grated nutmeg, cinnamon stick, toasted oak and charred pear, peppercorns and cloves( about 10 of each). Sit for a week, or untill desired colour is attained. Strain, dilute to 40%, run through a coffee filter and finally, bottle.Presto.

[punkin]

Good one RB, i'll copy it out when i get back home...

[revolt71]

The pure brewers irish cream was sweet enough to give you teeth like an englishman..way 2 sweet

[nimrod77]

Thanks for the recipe rumbaba! I have been looking for a good and easy rum recipe as well. All I need now is the time to still it off
I have a new Pot still head to try out too.......

[NotACrook]

Edwards Essences - Iceberg Rum - I had some of this last night, NOT A FAN. Being a pretty big rum drinker this was... in a word.. CRAP.
Very artificial tasting once again, tasted more like cough syrup than rum. 1/10

Not sure if I am doing something wrong but, Eduards Essences are not impressing me at all so far....

I agree with the Iceberg Rum, I don't drink rum myself but my mates all drink mainly rum & hated it. I found 1 person out of about 10 that thought it was drinkable. The plain Edward's Essences Rum impressed them all though (even non-rum drinkers).

Apart from that I've had a pretty good experience with Edward's, especially the whiskey & Irish Cream. The cream tasted just like Bailey's with a bit more kick to it. Unfortunately it doesn't keep long

[Flash Clampet]

have heard good things about the edwards irish cream from a friend also.

the mrs loves the still spirits irish so i will do a swap and do a batch of edwards and see what the reaction is

[Guz_69]

Hi all,
I am a ceature of habit and don't rock the boat now I know what the missus like. We have tested a few flavours but haven't digressed too much.

I have tried the following

SS melen (midori) and she and her friendsfind this very nice. 5/5
SS coconut rum (malibu) not bad 4.5/5 just wondering if I could get the same results from a supermarket bought cocnut essence
SS clasic american bourbon, didn't like this at all 1/5
SS qld gold rum, not even close to bundy2/5
SS top shelf dark rum, store recommended 3lt sprit on this but still way too much caramel flavour 1.2/5
SS turkey chips, found this is very nice with the additions I put in it (search for oak aging topic) 5/5
Edwards Scrub Turkey, not bad but a after taste taste (I use this with the chips now) 2/5
Prestige Lime Vodka, missus liked this flavour of vodka 4/5

[Gimp]

Just got to play with store bought flavouring.

Tried the below:
SS Classic Tennessee Bourbon 2/5
SS TopShelf Rye Whisky 3/5
Samual Willards Kentucky Bourbon 3/5
SS Strawberry Liquor 4.5/5

Played with a mix of the below.
The below is per 700mL Bottle of 40% Neutral Spirit
10mL Samual Willards Kentucky Burbon
6mL SS TopShelf Rye Whisky
4mL Oak Essence
Rated 9/10
Mix together and leave for 3 days. Ensure you use a clean tasting neutral spirit.

Depending on your taste as to how much bourbon essence you put into it. You could drop the bourbon essence to 8mL (I'll be trying that next batch).

Thanks to all on this site and CoopsOz

[rumbaba]

Thanks for the recipe rumbaba! I have been looking for a good and easy rum recipe as well. All I need now is the time to still it off
I have a new Pot still head to try out too.......

Well, How did it turn out?

[UnclearFizzyCyst]

Buy from a volume dealer.

I tried my first (Bourbon) flavoring and it was God-Awful swill, like stale soot. I guess it had sat there on the shelf for about 10 years. It took three dilutions and distillations to get it to the point where i could mix it with real Bourbon and handle the drinking.

No brand name mentioned, because it was a one-off kind of thing. Just be careful.

[hllrsr]

If you're looking for gawdawful swill, try the Prestige Bourbon, I've never had a good tipple that smelled and tasted like sweet and sour peach liqour.
ATB

[Likkerslurper]

I needed to make some quick & easy rum for a friend who likes Bundy, so I asked the local brew shop for a recommendation. "As good as the real thing" I should have gone into "oh yeah" mode when I noticed it was the shops own brand. Moral: Dont buy/trust Terry O'Briens essences, the "Bundy rum" was as sweet as you can get, a mile off the mark. Another thing, why are we being ripped for $6.50 for 1.4 litres worth of essence. $6.50 for 50ml that is! The essence is volume for volume four times more expensive than the real thing, and doubling the cost of a bottle of home-made. Thats my last essence purchase.

How about a thread for home made essences & flavours to add to "vodka". I would also like to make my own soft drinks, getting CO2 system soon.

[boingk]

Tried a few over the weekend with mates, heres the rundown:

SS 'Originals' White Rum 5/5, went exceptionally well with cola to make a good mixed drink. I used 50% spirit and 3g white sugar for the 750ml bottle. 7.5ml of essence as per directions. Spirit had been soaked in virgin oak chips for 2 days, then filtered prior to adding the other stuff.
SS 'Top Shelf' Yaegar (Jaegermeister) 1/5: Doesn't taste like Jaegermeister at all...however if you like Sambuca then this might be for you! Good liquorice flavour and quite dark. Possibly a tad strong in the flavour department, so start weaker than directed and work upwards.
SS 'Top Shelf' Blue Curacao 4/5: Excellent drop when mixed up 2/3 bottle to 700ml 40% spirit and 100g white sugar. Shake to dissolve the sugar and you're set. I was impressed and so were others, might be one to try for you cocktail kings out there.

Cheers all - boingk

[bronzdragon]

Prestige Amaretto -- 3.5/5

This is the first time for me to use a flavoring, as I usually don't make neutrals ... but with that said, this Amaretto flavoring is pretty tasty with cola or sour.

I was kind of disappointed with the smell, I expected a big almond smell like the real Amaretto gives, but there wasn't much smell to it.

After mixing though, it tastes pretty decent. I probably won't go out of my way to buy another. But we won't have any problem finishing this bottle off.

One note, the directions called for 10 ounces of sugar, in a 750ml. That's almost half the bottle in sugar. I used 6 ounces and it probably would have been fine with 4-5 depending on your taste.

cheers

~bd~

[pukana_blah]

Most Still Spirits stuff is pretty good.

Essencia can be average, apart from essencia malibu, which is the best I have tried.

The SS 'Classic premium whisky' is worth looking out for. Its in a green cardboard packet.
the SS Jägermeister essence is pretty good. its by no means identical but very nice and similar.
avoid a cheaper brand that says 'Jakt' on the bottle. Disgusting stuff.

SS irish cream is amazing with fresh cream.. far more creamier than a bottle of baileys, but doesnt keep as long.
I mix the essence with the given amount of alcohol and sugar, allow to mellow/infuse and only buy fresh cream to mix with it when im about to drink it.

Cheers for everyones posts here, helped me heaps with what to look out for at the brewstore

[goinbroke2]

Well, I have a bunch of UJSM that I cut to 50%ABV. I think I'm taking just hearts as there is not much "flavour" as such. So, I bought SS Top Shelf Rye Whiskey.
Mixed it up into three 750ml bottles and I think it will pass for store bought. Not that THAT is a good thing, it's just that now I can drink it in the open out of "Canadian bonded stock" bottles and nobody is the wiser. It's certainly not as smooth or as easy to drink as my stuff straight, but now it has that rye "bite" to it .

I like it, going to a party tonight so I'll pour a few drinks and see if anybody comments.

[lawnman 2]

Just got to play with store bought flavouring.

Tried the below:
SS Classic Tennessee Bourbon 2/5
SS TopShelf Rye Whisky 3/5
Samual Willards Kentucky Bourbon 3/5
SS Strawberry Liquor 4.5/5

Played with a mix of the below.
The below is per 700mL Bottle of 40% Neutral Spirit
10mL Samual Willards Kentucky Burbon
6mL SS TopShelf Rye Whisky
4mL Oak Essence
Rated 9/10
Mix together and leave for 3 days. Ensure you use a clean tasting neutral spirit.

Depending on your taste as to how much bourbon essence you put into it. You could drop the bourbon essence to 8mL (I'll be trying that next batch).

Thanks to all on this site and CoopsOz

tried your with your mix as above mmmmmmmm
not bad made 12 bottles ...bottle tonight and tryed some not bad good mix

[goinbroke2]

Thought I posted ths but I don't see it....
Well, went to the party. The wife and I were drinking my 50% stuff with SS rye whisky in it. She had no idea it wasn't bought. Got to the party and she complained all night they were watering the drinks!
Bought some SS bourbon because they ran out of rye whisky. Tastes pretty good, no idea what bourbon is supposed to taste like but it's whisky without the rye "bite" I guess.

Went to the inlaws for a few days.
Took two bottles of SS rye whisky, they (and the wife) drank it, no idea it wasn't store bought.
Had it in whisky bottles. perfect.

Got more but the wife called...

[goinbroke2]

More done off of the "honey do" list.

Anyhoo, as I was saying, went to the inlaws and they had a bottle of Glenfiddich that was given to them. Now we all drink whiskey, Canadian blended of various brands, but we've never had the nose-in-the-air "top shelf" whiskeys and scotch's I guess.
Tried it...holy %$^& THIS SHIT IS HORRIBLE!!!
It is the most putrid,vile,disgusting tasting crap I've ever had the displeasure of tasting!
I choked down the first glass and tactfully refrained from another.

SERIOUSLY, anybody like this shit?? It says on the bottle that it is 51% and can be watered down further to "release the aroma and body" or some such crap. MORE body?? you kidding me?? All I could taste was the perfumie(is that a word?) heads.

Absolutely the worst tasting crap I've ever had.
In fact it's so bad I think I'll start a new thread on it.

[pro65]

I take moonshine 45%abv and add 20 jolly ranchers to 750ml and it taste great. I like the cherry flavor. I also take the sour green apple and add 20-25 to 750ml and put it in the freezer to get it real cold and when i get ready to drink some I put it in a shot glass and put salt on my hand next to my thumb. Then lick the salt throw back the shot and it taste like a green apple with salt. I also go to the local Kroger and look in the coffee isle and they have flavoring in a fifth size bottle it comes in caramel,pumpkin pie,vanilla,hazelnut ETC. I like the caramel the best I put 10 oz. to 750ml and also put it in the freezer and it is great.

[cornlikr]

I'm new to the hobby, but there's been a lot of shine around here forever. I learned from an old man how he flavored it. Take you're favorite flavor off the shelf. I've tried them all. Coconut is probably my favorite. You can put the flavoring strait in and it's good. If you have some shine that has a hard bite, put some in a small pot on the stove and dissolve a half cup sugar and the flavoring and mix it back it. It will smooth it right out.

[goinbroke2]

Just tried another one last night. Top Shelf Irish Cream.
It says to use their "creamer pack" which is another $5.00 so I did option 2. It also says you can substitute the cream pack for 200ml of sugar and 500ml of cream. Well the wife is on a diet and doesn't eat sugar so I used 18% coffee cream and Splenda....came out like amoretto she said..she doesn't like amoretto.

Next grabbed a box of whipping cream and used a lot more of Splenda. BINGO! Made up the whole bottle with 500ml whipping cream (which later thickened a bit but was fine)
Wife liked it so much she had it half gone before we went out! (I used 50% UJSM as my alcohol) Went to the legion and she drank free coffee with my irish cream all night. I couldn't drink because I'm on duty but she really enjoyed it.

Bottom line?
It's good! With their creamer pack it is probably even better.(thicker)

edit, forgot to add 4.5/5

[Dnderhead]

She is on a diet and wont eat sugar, but will cream and alcohol?

[violentblue]

She is on a diet and wont eat sugar, but will cream and alcohol?

never try and figure out the logic of a woman, cause even when you think you have her figured out you'll still be wrong.

[jdonly1]

I mainly only make neutral so drink a lot of vodka.
The flavors I do like are Bodines sour mash bourbon(its the best bourbon I have tasted yet )
Top shelf citrus vodka(this is great stuff,drink it with lemonade and it tastes like a lemonade icy poll )

[goinbroke2]

She is on a diet and wont eat sugar, but will cream and alcohol?

never try and figure out the logic of a woman, cause even when you think you have her figured out you'll still be wrong.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! HOW TRUE!!

She eats protein like meat and eats butter/cream but not skim milk/carb's or something like that. It's either Adkin's diet this week and suzanne sommers last week or the other way round. Supper is a head scratcher cause everyday there's something else she can/can't eat. she's been on a diet longer than I've known her. (over 20 years now) Even when she was skinny she was on a diet! LOL!

Women, can't live with 'em and can't sell em for parts...

ok, back to topic...

[Fistful]

I find that artificial flavourings and colourings leave an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth. For this reason I normally use a range of flavours made by "Hauraki Brewing Company" in NZ the range is called "Heritage"

For those of you wanting to avoid the chemicals it is a good alternative with a limited range of good flavours.

Cheers.

[alkoholics]

this is what ive found sofar if you age them at 55% on charred oak or sugar maple for almost a week and they really improve.

Prestige

GOOD: Spiced Rum
hazelnut liquere
swiss chocolate
smoked irish whiskey
liqour 45
toffee
most of the gins

BAD: Tequila gold (to me taste like pickle juice)
peach brandy
carte noir brandy (could be better aged on charred wood)
jamacian rum (could be better aged on charred wood)
austrian rum (could be better aged on charred wood)

i still have a bunch more to go through but will post when done

[paulhardy]

I am very new to this, but i am very picky with my bourbon, i tried all sorts of diffrent flavours and justy couldnt get the taste anywhere near what i wanted. Just recently i did a whisky wash (sugar,corn, orange juice) then placed 2 litres of the distliled product in a container for 2 weeks soaking in jack daniels barrel chips. i then filtred the product and for flavouring i added a 200ml bottle of Jack daniels, it taste fantastic and very close to the real thing, did the same for a whiskey, soaked in french oak chips and then added a bottle of johnnie walker for flavour, works great

[WhiskyBarron]

Islay style whiskey. Stolen from an earlier posting by Kiint.

Ingredients as follows.

Laphroaig© Style
To make 1.125L/40oz
Whisky Profile “B” - 8.6ml
Oak Cask - 3.8ml
Peat Smoke - 19ml
Astringent Notes - 0.5ml
Distillers Caramel - 1.0ml
Glycerine - 18.0ml

Not quite Laphroaig but this recipe leaves the one-mix options for dead. Anyone who likes a good whiskey should try this. If you can find something better than this (potstill officionados excepted) I want the recipe now.

I am also trying to find something like the Islay whiskys - made from a neutral? Any ideas other than the whisky profile kit recipe above? I have tried that, and it is good, but I like the real kick of an Islay whisky with that extra peat taste? Any tips?