Sorghum/molasses in aged spirits

[Toasterdust]

I've seen the "sweetfeed" whiskey recipe and general idea and had a thought to try adding some molasses in to a rapid aged spirit to give it some depth that seems to be lacking in a nuclear spirit. I aged some 60% birdwatchers(it's what I had to try as a proof of concept) and ended up putting a few drops of vanilla and dissolved some sorghum in water to thin it and mixed it in. It ended up being kinda magical it totally changed the whole thing. Still nothing like a true aged spirit but it got it a whole heck of a lot closer in my book. I'm getting ready to do a corn/oat wash this weekend to see what it does then

[Dancing4dan]

Did some similar stuff early on. Always tasted like additive to me.

One thing I tried with pretty good results was nuke infusing oak with the flavour. I used some Marsala, cinnamon, black pepper corn. Adding the hot oak to the spirit resulted in “rapid aging”. I wrote it up somewhere online. There are a few samples left around home. Not a bad sip after a few years.

[Bee]

Taste like rum?

Some dark rums have molasses added and spiced rums usually have vanilla added.

[still_stirrin]

That’s the great thing about this hobby …. you can be creative! Experimentation will teach you a lot, what’s good and what NOT to try again. Some like to use essences to change the flavor of their products. Some don’t. Is it right, or wrong? No, it’s yours … so you can do it if you want to.

However, if you experiment and destroy your product, you can’t come here looking for repairs because it’s YOUR experiment. You’ve got to accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes.

And as a corollary, just because you like your products doesn’t mean anybody else will (of course there’s always someone who favors “free” liquor regardless of how it tastes). But, your product, unique as it may be, is YOURS. It can be your “signature”. You’re the “artist” and your product is your “art”. Relish that!

Now, back to the subject of “back-sweetening”, for me (personal preference) rum is quite sweet enough. I wouldn’t want to add more sugar or raw molasses to the spirit because of the residual sweetness present in the rum, even as I typically distill to a very high purity. However, I use raw molasses that carries a lot of flavors.

And I’ve found that even rums that include some processed sugar still seems to be quite sweet when distilled. So again, no back-sweetening needed (for me at least). However, I can see the advantage to aging the rum on toasted white oak to add the oak flavors even as the tanins help offset some of the sweetness. Time on wood helps tremendously.

Just my thoughts, FWIW. YMMV.
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[subbrew]

Similar to said above when I tried molasses directly in the spirit it seems to sit on top and taste artificial. My last experiment was with an all molasses rum. On a stripping run I continued well into the sweet water. Abv was nonexistent. But the water coming off the still has a very subtle molasses flavor. I used that water to proof down a some rum that had been on toasted oak for a couple of years. I am very happy with the result. The sweet water added a bit of molasses flavor in the background without adding sweetness.

[Toasterdust]

I think I would agree it does taste a little artificial but I was also experimenting with hickory aging at the same time so maybe there was some interesting interaction happening.

I'm a little ADHD and I've only got so much clear to play with still waiting on another batch. My wife really likes the back sweetened one a ton I did a really heavy char on a second batch that I'm kinda vibing with. I'm really just enjoying the experimenting all in all I'm a big bourbon and rum drinker and all in all just super surprised I'm getting stuff I really enjoy so fast lol I was expecting to need to wait 3-6 months

[NormandieStill]

all in all just super surprised I'm getting stuff I really enjoy so fast lol I was expecting to need to wait 3-6 months

Wait until you taste the first spirits that you've managed to age for a full year. Or two.

[Dougmatt]

I generally enjoy sipping rum versus using it in cocktails myself, but generally other people seem to like rum in a cocktail or with a mixer of some kind. I sometimes use a light simple syrup to proof down rum coming out of the barrel for people who aren’t “sippers” to give them something that doesn’t require a mixer that they can enjoy out of the bottle. When I put water versus simple syrup proof down side by side, the simple syrup wins most of the time for others as a “sipper”. I also suggest they can make a “rum old fashioned” by just adding some bitters, cherry and an orange peel which they seem to like.

Caramelized sugar also works nicely in a white rum to add some flavor, color, and complexity to an early rum. I did that before I had my solera setup, but now the barrels add enough color and complexity that I don’t do it anymore.

I’ve added Panela syrup but didn’t care for it. Tried molasses once, but didn’t like that either as it overwhelmed the spirit versus adding to it.

I prefer a water (or sweet water off the still when I have it) proofed down version myself, but personally don’t object to adding sweeteners to rum as long as I know how much is in there…. I don’t like the commercial practice of doing it and not telling you.

[Toasterdust]

all in all just super surprised I'm getting stuff I really enjoy so fast lol I was expecting to need to wait 3-6 months

Wait until you taste the first spirits that you've managed to age for a full year. Or two.

Might be awhile until I get enough sitting around that it makes it that long lol.

[JustinNZ]

My advice is to get mildly relaxed and hide jars from yourself in multiple interesting places (behind things is my personal favourite). Then… make a whole shit-tonne of other stuff that flavours-up quickly (ish) like a UJSSM on chips. Works a treat for me. I’m about to go play seek behind a bookshelf in my shed. And I know there’s some random jars in my garage somewhere. Or behind the painting clothes box. Or in the chicken coup.

[Toasterdust]

That sounds like a phenomenal idea lol