White Dog Taste

[JB_12]

Just did my first spirit run from a collection of multiple low wine runs. Corn mashes but also had wheat, rye, barley to a lesser degree (70/10/10/10% roughly).

I just put two gallons of my cuts on oak cubes. 136 proof. There was about 1.5 gallons of feints and I tried to only take jars that were clean and mixed in maybe 2-3 oz per gallon of some fruity heads, didn’t take any tails I don’t think.

Anyways, what I tasted pre-oak was very fruity, a bit grainy, a bit earthy, and a touch of a musty cardboard type profile. Does this sound right for white dog? Will this age out and smooth out into more a bourbon profile after a few months on 2oz/gallon American med oak cubes?

[NZChris]

Jars that make your hearts taste/smell of cardboard should not be included.

[JB_12]

What should white dog taste like? I guess thats the better question.

[NZChris]

Nice, no flaws.

[JB_12]

Fruitiness or no?

[NZChris]

If you like it.

[Salt Must Flow]

I hate heads so I only keep hearts. Even if there's good flavor in the heads I'll cut them out. It is my understanding that heads are the main contributor to hangovers, mood swings, spins, barfs, etc... I just hate the feeling of heads so that's why I always cut them out the best I can.

[Stonecutter]

What should white dog taste like? I guess thats the better question.

What should marinara sauce taste like? What should ribs taste like? The answer is that they should taste pleasing to the pallet and more specifically it should taste pleasing to your palette.
Your un-aged Whiskey is going to take on the profile of the ingredients you put into it and the cuts you blend. It depends on what YOU like. Anybody who tells you that your white dog doesn’t taste the way it “should” is a damn fool and a liar.
Cardboard is certainly not the flavor profile that I look for so I take care not to let that into my final blends.
Whiskey has some common flavor profiles same with London Dry Gin and Tequila. But between them all there are a plethora of flavor profiles that go with every spirit.
We’re not bound by law to create a certain product. IMO that’s part of the fun.

[6 Row Joe]

Yep, what should white dog taste like? I have tasted other's shine, some commercial shine and I even have some Buffalo Trace White Dog. It is all a bit different but un aged and un oaked so it is similar. I don't keep much of the heads and I am careful when I cut off the hearts. Each batch is a bit different. Strip it and leave it open to the air for a day or two. Run your spirit run low and slow and make careful cuts. It can set airing out for a day or so as well. You may get a smooth viscous white dog that is sweet and with flavors of your grains. Nice enough to sip on neat even at 140 proof. Talking g about proof, it is best to oak or barrel at around 115 proof. Higher proof will give you off flavors. My opinion of course.

[NZChris]

Heads and tails are, by definition, the product that doesn't make the heart cut, regardless of what they tasted or smelled like on their own.

If you don't include a headsy jar, it is then defined as heads.
If you do include it because it improved the heart cut, it is then defined as hearts.
If you it include and it spoils the heart cut, that is called a cockup, try not to do it again.

Regardless of what method you use to choose the jars for your heart cut, you should make up a new sample of the blend and taste that before committing your selection to one vessel. For most products, if it tastes of nail varnish or cardboard/wet dog, you have gone at least one jar too far.

[Demy]

My personal rule is: anything that doesn't smell and taste good won't be included in hearts. The cuts are influenced by our olfactory and tasting sensitivity so it's not possible to give a precise answer, my advice is that if you don't like it, the cuts are probably wrong..

[NZChris]

My personal rule is: anything that doesn't smell and taste good won't be included in hearts. The cuts are influenced by our olfactory and tasting sensitivity so it's not possible to give a precise answer, my advice is that if you don't like it, the cuts are probably wrong..

That is what I do, and recommend, for making neutral.

For making flavored products, I've learned that I haven't developed the skills to predict what effect every jar will have on the flavor of the heart cut. I was so confused by one jar that smelled and tasted like it should not be included, but seemed to improve the whole anyway, that I asked another stiller to select a cut. He chose to include that jar too, even though he said it was quite headsy on its own. With that jar added, the hearts tasted more rounded and flavorsome, like when you add the missing salt to your stew. Salt on its own isn't pleasant, but you still put it in your food.

[JB_12]

Thank you all for the feedback. Cheers

[Bee]

Tight cuts for drinking white, looser cuts for long-term aging.

[Chauncey]

Glossed over the thread(drunk rn) but here's my silver dime...

Should taste like spicy buttered popcorn with a smooth mouth feel, based on description of grain bill. Flavor sounds like you included too much heads and tails, or they're smeared thru out.

Couple years in a barrel (badmo over a 2gal all wood imo) will fix that. Possibly.

[squigglefunk]

throughout history a lot of drinks don't make any cuts, they drink it all.

So somewhere between that and a "conservative" hearts cut is where I like to land

I am trying to make something with flavor and character and I don't get that with a "hearts only" cut IMO.

If my tails taste/smell like wet dog or cardboard then I feel there is something wrong with the ferment IMO.

Should be full of the flavors of whatever you made your ferment with. Corn, fruit, etc.

now of course I dont keep it all, and some types of ferment have wider cuts than others.

But in the end cuts are really more about taste for me than any headaches or hangovers.

Maybe I dont really drink enough to feel anything like that? Never an issue with anything I have made.

"Very Fruity" notes on an all grain blend sounds like a lot of heads to me. The "fruity" notes should only be in the first jar or two and even I never use those lol.. But yeah, get back to it in a year or so and see what you got.

[Bee]

One of the first batches I made I cut tight and put up to age. After a year or so I tasted it. It was flat & nearly flavorless. I added some tails from another batch. After another year it tastes much better.

[Chauncey]

ive found random feints jars that were a few years old that i forgot about that actually smelled then tasted pretty good. i dont get the wet cardboard we dog thing...but i know the smell of tails, but its just that to me, tails.