My god... Some GREAT apricot brandy!

[GingerTop]

Alright, so I just sampled some of my apricot brandy I distilled back in early July from a 7.5 gallon pot still and damn... It's some good stuff!

I adapted the recipe from Tater for peaches, but for a 5 gallon wash and added 2 pounds of sugar and 2 gallons of steam-juiced apricot juice just to get the gravity up. Didn't affect the fruit aroma too much, had a very prevalent apricot odor after 3 months of aging white with a coffee filter on top. Ran the wash until the whole lot was 90 proof. This is after I stopped with the hearts, then ran the tails in 4 oz batches until I got toward the end and got some magnificent apricot aromas out of it. Well, early this month I smelled the white dog and the odor mellowed out a LOT and went from a really hot, rubbing alcohol odor to a mellow apricot odor. I was pleasantly surprised, considering I was worried it was a failure fresh from the still.

After that, I decided to throw in some apple and cherry chips to the half gallon of brandy. Got a stick from each tree and cut it with a chop saw into 2-3 inch sticks and split it into 4ths before toasting in the oven at close to 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Did not char, but still gave the brandy a deep amber color, similar to Jack Daniels.

I do have a question though. Although the taste and odor is pretty nice from the toasted apple and cherry wood, It's a little too over powering in my opinion. I wanted to keep more of the apricot flavor (which is why I didn't char) and was wondering if adding a half a grilled apricot to the half gallon batch would solve the problem? I'd have to wait until apricots were back in season, but I think it's be worth it for the more prevalent apricot flavor. Plus, I don't think another 8 months on the wood would hurt it.

[NcHooch]

Mmmm. sounds tasty.
you might consider fishing the wood out, and droppin a dried apricot in there and then capping it for a few months ...that may get you where you wanna be.

[GingerTop]

Dried apricot... Never thought of that, but sounds like a great idea. I'll try that and post the results, thanks!

[GrooTheWanderer]

I'd second the dried or fresh apricots (plural). It will also add color.
Grilling one would only drive off aspects and caramelize sugars.

I believe Stone Barn Brandyworks http://www.stonebarnbrandyworks.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow make some of their stuff by soaking a brandy base on more fruit.

Also, the pits can be used for a very slight almond note.
There are even commercial liqueurs out there that are made *only* from the pits.

[kobold]

for best results soak 50g/l of dried or 100g/l of fresh fruit for three months or more.