I made several bourbon mashes recently, and I ran outta rye so I switched my Bourbon mash bill to 4 grains including Oat (Barley, oat, wheat and Corn).
I don't have any access to Rye except the malted one for brewing, which it's cost has raised significantly during the last year...
But for Wheat, raw Barley and Oat I can have them fairly cheap...
So I wonder if you guys had played more with oat in your mashbills and if you liked the caracter of it?
FYI I distill the stripping run on grains with an agitator.
Does not seem like a big change in flavour to me but I put oats in all grain / cereal ferments. Makes product smoother off the still and seems to age out smoother.
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Stags wrote: ↑Tue Nov 21, 2023 6:15 am
Got itchy threw some in with a UJSSM once to see how I liked it and clear space in my pantry. Liked it better with than without, they’re a staple now
I also did and awesome UJSSM like whisky with rolled oats added in the 1st sour mashing (2nd gen) and was absolutely delicisous, especially when distilling... There was nice oat breakfast aromas coming out of the still!
But it is my first try in a all grain mash.
I'm sure that it won't carry as much complexity and spices than Rye... But maybe it's worth playing with it?
Beautiful thing about this hobby, is you can make it however you want it.
I haven’t added oats for flavor as much I do mouthfeel, where I feel it contributes more. So there’s nothing to say you can’t do oats and rye. Literally you have nothing to lose
I have heard oats described as a grain that smells/tastes exactly like the raw ingredient which I have found to be true.
For my taste I tend to like thick chewy bourbons which means on grain pot distillation. My most recent run was a 80% corn 20% oat whisky. Oats really do add a creamy mouthfeel compared to 100% corn which I did a later with the same technique. I would describe that 80/20 corn/oat run as tasting like an oatmeal cookie without the brown sugar. You get the butter taste from the corn but then the oat/flour taste from the oats and it is honestly the run I am looking forward to the most.
I am pretty sure next summer the next iteration will be to do that 80/20 mash bill with ex-rum barrels and really lean into the oatmeal cookie flavor. Oats really are a awesome lever to pull in a wide range of products.
VAbourbontester wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 9:24 am
I have heard oats described as a grain that smells/tastes exactly like the raw ingredient which I have found to be true.
For my taste I tend to like thick chewy bourbons which means on grain pot distillation. My most recent run was a 80% corn 20% oat whisky. Oats really do add a creamy mouthfeel compared to 100% corn which I did a later with the same technique. I would describe that 80/20 corn/oat run as tasting like an oatmeal cookie without the brown sugar. You get the butter taste from the corn but then the oat/flour taste from the oats and it is honestly the run I am looking forward to the most.
I am pretty sure next summer the next iteration will be to do that 80/20 mash bill with ex-rum barrels and really lean into the oatmeal cookie flavor. Oats really are a awesome lever to pull in a wide range of products.
Thanks! That's what I was looking for, the flavors given to the spirit by the oats... The mouthfeel is kinda harder to describe I guess!
I may try to mash only oats on a smaller scale to see what is the real oat flavor when distilled.
I am distilling on grain too, as I think it is mandatory when playing with high oats mash content... Goopy mash I'm pretty sure it will be!
Hmmm, reading through this thread is making me thirsty..... I've got a batch of AG oats and one of AG corn ageing, I'm gonna have to mix up a bottle of that 30% oat 70% corn and see how it is. The oats stuff is youngest but it's about a year and a half on oak now, so I think it's ready to try. Will report back soon.
I have single grain barley malt and white wheat malt batches ageing too, my goal is to have the different grains whiskies all at 2 plus years so I can figure out blends I like. Gonna try this one a little ahead of schedule.
Everyone has to believe in something. Me? I believe I'll have another drink......
I pulled out my oat whiskey ageing in the attic, and it turns out it's a little over two years old, so ready to go by my two year rule. I tried some straight oak stuff on ice and it's very nice, the first time I've tried it in over a year. Definitely a nice mouth feel and nice legs in the glass. I mixed up a bottle of 70/30% corn/oats whiskey and will try that tonight.
I'm glad I made a nice sized batch of the oat stuff, I'll have plenty to continue ageing.... I've got some bourbon that's five years old and that's very nice, should be able to keep at least some of this stuff around till it's that old as well.
Everyone has to believe in something. Me? I believe I'll have another drink......
I tried my 70/30 corn/oat blend whiskey and forgot to post on it....
Nice bourbon. Sweetness of the corn with the smoothness and much of the mouth feel of the oats. I really like this blend. Another year and my white wheat malt whiskey can participate in the blending experiments too.
Everyone has to believe in something. Me? I believe I'll have another drink......
FL Brewer wrote: ↑Mon Feb 12, 2024 6:55 am
I tried my 70/30 corn/oat blend whiskey and forgot to post on it....
Nice bourbon. Sweetness of the corn with the smoothness and much of the mouth feel of the oats. I really like this blend. Another year and my white wheat malt whiskey can participate in the blending experiments too.
I'm a big fan of the corn, oat style whiskey
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