Still Spirits Flavourings

[Dennis]

I make a lot of Neutral and I have no shame in saying most of it gets flavoured with Still spirits Gin essence .

Me and Mrs Yummy drink a metric fuckton of Gin and while I don’t mind all the “real” stuff made with juniper and coriander etc , In reality , the HBS Essence cuts the mustard when it comes to Gin and keeps us happy .. Not just us . Family members love my Gin too .

Seriously . I offered them some reputable fancy arse Gin that even changes colour and all that shit but they kept coming back to my Neutral flavoured with those little bottles . :ewink:mmmm

Now some does get turned into Orange Liqueer

I check out their site, Still Spirts, and they have many flavorings. Obviously Gin is very good. Has anyone tried any of there other flavorings? Looks like a great alternative to some of the more complicated procedures. Easy for a beginner like me who could taste things he wouldn’t have tried and could do it inexpensively.

[kimbodious]

Yes, they certainly have their place. We use the SS Top Shelf London Dry ?Gin flavouring

[StillerBoy]

I'm of the same view as Yummyrum, lots of my neutral is for flavored essence..

Really like the Skyebuie, now called Spice Whiskey, it's very near the flavor of Drambuie.. also the Herbal Liqueur is close to a Jagermeister.. the French Brandy made using a wine base neutral is also nice.. with or without the base pack, both are good..

My son like's their Scotch, and a fellow loves their gin..

May not be the really thing, but it save a hell of lots of work, and almost just as good when made from a clean neutral base.. after all, by the third drink, I don't know the different anyways, and it much easier on the pocket book..

Mars

[Dennis]

This is great opens up a whole avenue for extermination, with naturals, and as you say without all the extra work!

[Yummyrum]

Got to say though ,I’ve tried just about every Rum essence made by them and other essence companys and they all taste terrible . Maybe its because I prefer Rum ....nothing compares to the teal thing.
I don’t mind the Still Spirits Single Malt Whisky essense . Its way closer to Scotch than anything I’ve ever attempted to make .... and way easier .
However , my brother in law who's a Scotch drinker gagged when I offered him my essence Scotch

[Yummyrum]

Interestingly , knowing we were to be locked down , I went to several HBS looking for Gin essence and they are nearly all sold out or have restrictions on how much you can buy .

Fortunately I can still buy plenty of Juniper and coriander at the local health food shop so may have to get the pot still out

[The Baker]

Tried their Honey Bourbon for my daughter-in-law who drinks it with cola.
She hardly drinks anything else and it is $52 Australian a bottle!
The Still Spirits is not the same but pretty close and she will drink it okay; but really prefers the original.
Sigh.
On my walk today I will visit the local bottle shop, they stock still spirits and some home brew stuff.
My brother-in-law and son make beer that they like from a Liquid Malt Extract based 'kit' they get there.

I will see if they have Gin.
Thanks, people!

Geoff

[The Baker]

Yummyrum found essences in short supply so I stocked up, just in case.
Though in our little town there would probably be less demand.

I bought;
one of the SS Top Shelf Dry Gin (makes 2.25 litres)
two of the SS Blue Jewel Gin (each contains two sachets: each sachet makes 1.125 litres)
one of the Edwards Sapphire Blue Gin (makes 3.5 litres so it must be potent)

and a Samuel Willard's Butternut Schnapps, just for fun. (makes 1.125 litres)

So now I need to produce some more neutral spirit.
Then we can have a tasting and compare the gin from each of the essences with maybe five different gins on my shelf.

Geoff

[cayars]

Definitely tell us what you think of each and what it taste like commercially if you can.

[Saltbush Bill]

,I’ve tried just about every Rum essence made by them and other essence companys and they all taste terrible .

Couldnt agree more, when I first started out I tried a lot of different rum essences , all tasted crap

Its way closer to Scotch than anything I’ve ever attempted to make

You need to get some lessons from Crackers over at MTs he makes the best Scotch Ive ever drunk.

[StriaghtJakket]

I am quite new so started out - and still - making neutrals - wifey and i drink tones of spirit -

Irish Creme with creme base - She loves it and have made 3 bottles already - waiting to make some whisky and make some of Punkins Muk!

I love my rum, but not a fan of many -or any- beside the 'SS top shelf spiced rum' with coke zero - i went real harsh on my TPW cuts and i reckon its not too far off from a sailor Jerry's - could be biased but....i love it!!

I also make a heap of triple-sec - this is my secret ingredient in my lemon-lime & Bitters - or L L O & B!! - sweet but refreshing and a bit of a staple around here as a brew.

also made a bottle of Sambuca - because i had not had any sine my 21st lol - did not use the base pack, just mixed about 100 g of castor to hot water to make a syrup. very enjoyable.

I have been trying to find alternatives to using the SS base packs - but not had much luck so far.

[StillerBoy]

I have been trying to find alternatives to using the SS base packs - but not had much luck so far.

If you research Top Shell essences, click on the essence you want to make, and should give you the amounts required to make an alternate base with, usually sugar and glucose..

I've made bases using fine white sugar and glycerin, or icing sugar and white corn syrup, they work out good.. it take a few trys sometimes to get the right sweetness you want..

Here a link to what I was stating.. each essences that require a pack will have different amount of sugar requirements..
https://bestcasediy.ca/collections/stil ... lf-skybuie

Mars

[StriaghtJakket]

Here a link to what I was stating.. each essences that require a pack will have different amount of sugar requirements..
https://bestcasediy.ca/collections/stil ... lf-skybuie

Mars

Cheers Mars!
apparently used to say it on the pack? not anymore, or on the Aus sites i frequent -
Legend!
Straightjakket

[JakeB]

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread. It felt like cheating using flavorings, seems lots of people do it. I do enjoy neutral with Still Spirits blue jewel, I find it close to Sapphire. I like their bourbon flavoring (the top shelf one, comes in a box). Liqurquick makes jakbitter schnapps essence that comes out like Jagermeister, and a pretty decent Canadian style whiskey, though there is another brand made in Canada (I don't have a bottle to refer to right now) that is better. Mixed with Coke, tastes just like Crown and Coke, liqurquick comes out more like 5 star. Pure Brewers makes Coconut Rum extract that comes out like Malibu. For other liquors, I prefer recipes I have found here, amaretto that with a slight tweak is a dead ringger for Disorono, and a decent copy of Kaluha. I made a version of Bailies that is based on the one circulating here except I changed the emulsifier from egg to cornstarch (based on experience with ice cream making). For Scotch, I don't think any of the flavorings get close enough for my taste buds. I make malt extract whiskey "aged" (more oak tea really, just a month or 2 with some temp cycling, doesn't get it quite right, but still nice). I just go buy the occasional bottle as I can't see having the time/patience to get Scotch right. Usually cheap stuff (Bells), sometimes a nice Glenfiddich or similar.