Dark Chocolate Bourbon

[OtisT]

Dark Chocolate Bourbon

I recently bottled a batch of this dark chocolate bourbon after a year on toasted oak with a heavy char and everyone is loving it. It starts like a bourbon with a good amount of char then finishes with a wonderful chocolate and stout taste that lingers in your mouth a long time. The finish is a bit dry, but not astringent. This bourbon reminds me of a good chocolate stout beer. Use half the specialty grains if you are looking for a more subtle dark chocolate presence.

70% flaked corn
10% british chocolate malt
10% malted red wheat
10% 2 row
+ I also tossed in an extra 5% of British Dark Crystal malt thrown in before the boil for the added stout flavor (ya, that adds up to 105%. Sorry.)

I used the mashing protocol from SCD’s honey bear bourbon, adding the british dark crystal in with the corn.

I used 15% bourbon backset in my ferment and a Belgian Ale yeast.

My tails cut was a bit deeper than normal, which may account for some of the long finish.

I could smell the specialty grains heavily throughout fermentation, distillation, making cuts, and bottling. Early on I thought I may have overdone the specialty grains, but the finished product has turned out perfect for my tastes.

Enjoy. Otis