That first taste when opening a bottle

[beelah]

I was reading a thread just now on the taste of Laphoirg, and one of the comments was about how strong that first shot out of the bottle was, but that over time, once the bottle was opened, that same strong bite mellowed.

Well last Thursday, my last day of work before retirement, I opened a bottle of my father's white dog that I had laying down for 11 years.

Now he never made it, but was only the middle man in a chain of old Canadian bootlegers. When I took the first shot, it was really overpowering and burned like the bejeesus going down,wth all kinds of wierd and off flavours. I thought -crap - time has sure nor doen this bottl;e any good.

I was disappointed to say the least, but also interested in that I noticed that those boys back then were more concerned with quantity, rather than quality, as I coudl saure taste them head in that bottle.

A few days later, I had me a drink and it definetly tasted better than the first firewater.

Today as I sip a third drink, it has competely changed!!!! It is smooth and has a citriusy nose, and goes down so easy and has a sweet aftertaste. Now about 10 minutes later, I can feel the majick and I think it may be around 100-120 proof from the way I am smiling.

So what gives with that first opening wack in the tastebuds? I have noticed that before on my own product tht has sat for a few months in a closed bottle? Is it like wine that needs some O2 to make it rounder?

[Odin]

Hi Beelah,

What I read about it, 02 does have a big effect on congeners. More contact with 02 may mellow your booz. Also, maybe something else is going on. If I look at my gins, which I make with lots of taste and so esotheric oil components, they seem to be balancing and rebalancing themselves in the bottles during the first days I lett them settle. Lifting the cap for a few seconds gets rid of any off smells (and maybe tastes).

Now, in making brandy, I learned a trick to speed up the ageing process. Put the bottle in 50 degrees water (centigrade), let it rest there for half an hour, then open the cap. What you smell is so bad, that you are lucky it gets out of your drink! And this proces continues for two days more in the bottle, after it has been lifted from the water. Just open the cap once or twice, smell the "badies" going out and you are left with a better drink.

Now, 11 years of ageing may just do that to a drink, what I try artificially to induce upon a brandy. But where can the bad stuff go, when the cap is closed? Nowhere! I think the great results you got after a few days are mostly due to your drink given time (finally) to de-gass. And the 02 helpes in itself too off course.

But, hey, I am just a rumrunner, or so I was reminded of not long ago! Any better explanations around? I am willing to learn & learn ...

Regards, Odin.

[Bushman]

Hi Beelah,

What I read about it, 02 does have a big effect on congeners. More contact with 02 may mellow your booz. Also, maybe something else is going on. If I look at my gins, which I make with lots of taste and so esotheric oil components, they seem to be balancing and rebalancing themselves in the bottles during the first days I lett them settle. Lifting the cap for a few seconds gets rid of any off smells (and maybe tastes).

Now, in making brandy, I learned a trick to speed up the ageing process. Put the bottle in 50 degrees water (centigrade), let it rest there for half an hour, then open the cap. What you smell is so bad, that you are lucky it gets out of your drink! And this proces continues for two days more in the bottle, after it has been lifted from the water. Just open the cap once or twice, smell the "badies" going out and you are left with a better drink.

Now, 11 years of ageing may just do that to a drink, what I try artificially to induce upon a brandy. But where can the bad stuff go, when the cap is closed? Nowhere! I think the great results you got after a few days are mostly due to your drink given time (finally) to de-gass. And the 02 helpes in itself too off course.

But, hey, I am just a rumrunner, or so I was reminded of not long ago! Any better explanations around? I am willing to learn & learn ...

Regards, Odin.

+1 on the 02, interesting technique of the water odin, I will have to give it a try, have you used the technique of other liquors?

[Odin]

Bushman,

I use this method on my brandies and whiskeys. My brandies are okay (eventhough, of late, I somehow seem to have lost my touch), my whiskeys are ... well in the early exploring parts of the process. I also make from beer a beerschnapps. Just put beer and the potstill and tripple distill. Make your cuts pretty much like in a whiskey. But, hey, I am getting off topic, now. Anyhow, for all the above, I use this aging technique. And it works on all of them. I do not use this technique on a pure vodka or a gin, though. That's because I make them through a reflux/fractionating column and they are pretty much smell- and odourless to start with. Drinks rich in taste and smell do benefit from the method. The most interesting part for me is always to open up the cap and have a short smell. Yuck! If that comes out, the rest stay behind in a better shape. And so it does. Changes in taste and smell, differences in the balance of the drink, keep on occuring for a few days after this water bath. Give it 2 to 3 days of rest before you try the result, is my advice!

Regards, Odin.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Neat idea Odin, I'll give this a go.
I am currently storing my DWWGW in glass with a paper cover in my hot water cupboard next to a copper pipe running hot water. I figure this will both induce convection currents in the booze helping send the wood around, and also encourage some of the most volatile heads (that may have smeared through) to leave more rapidly.

[Odin]

Frozen, please let me know how this works out for you! Must say your method is a bit different from what I do, given that I open the cap/cork only a few times and not let it be continuously open, so lets find out how your results are Odin.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Frozen, please let me know how this works out for you! Must say your method is a bit different from what I do, given that I open the cap/cork only a few times and not let it be continuously open, so lets find out how your results are Odin.

Hi Odin, thought i would give you an update.

Having been in the cupboard for nearly 2 weeks i have ditched this experiment - the funky note i was detecting has diminished but not gone entirely. I have lost 100ml of liquid and the color has not changed a great deal. The distillate is now slightly cloudy.
I'm going to give your method a go next time I have a problem like this again - I think it's more tried and true!
Cheer, FT

[Odin]

Better luck next time, partner!