Hearts of Hearts - what is your definition?

[PalCabral]

Hiya Distillers.

In the last 6 months or so, I've been making two cuts when I make Whiskey. One smaller cut, that I oak with "tannin free" oak sticks for a shorter time, and a bigger cut for "classic" oaking. For the smaller, faster, oaking cut I also tend to make a tighter cut. For this cut I tend to avoid heads and not use too much of the tails. Sometimes we use the term heart of hearts but I'm not entirely sure what it means. I don't typically use this term at all.

When I distill Whiskey, the distillate tends to come out between 82-83% ABV. It lingers around 80-82% when I take the heads out. Sometimes, when I like fruitiness in the heads-to-hearts, I will collect hearts at 81% already, but if I am more conservative with the cuts I will typically start collecting hearts at 79% off the spout. At 78% I am usually collecting in bigger jars, all the way down to 70%. The distillate in this range is fairly neutral, without the fruity metallic taste of heads and without the wet socks of tails. At 70% to 68% is when I start tasting tails, this is when I switch to smaller jars again. My handling of hearts-to-tails is very much dependent on the distillate. Sometimes, I've cut to tails really early, like at 67%, but recently when I was making my second Wheat Whiskey the fruit I was getting was awesome and I just kept collecting hearts down to 56%.

However, if I look at how and what I collect, I think the heart of hearts in my definition would be those bigger jars of fairly neutral distillate I am getting between 78% and 70%.

Or is heart of hearts, in your definition, even tighter - the very nucleus of that center cut between 78% and 70% that I am talking about? Or is your definition actually broader? What is heart of hearts, in your definition?

[zach]

I think the hearts cut depends on the quality and abv of the original ferment and abv of your low wines.

I saw this chart in this reference on cognac that depicts cut points with 24%, 26% & 32% low wines. The D on the curves are the point to cut to hearts and the C is the cut to seconds with the goal of having 70% abv for a barrel. The same reference recommended to cut to tails no lower than 58%. https://www.bostonapothecary.com/le-cog ... laud-1958/

With a low wines at 24%, the head sinks at around 74%, by making the cut at 62%, one obtains brandy at 70%.

[PalCabral]

I think the hearts cut depends on the quality and abv of the original ferment and abv of your low wines.

I saw this chart in this reference on cognac that depicts cut points with 24%, 26% & 32% low wines. The D on the curves are the point to cut to hearts and the C is the cut to seconds with the goal of having 70% abv for a barrel. The same reference recommended to cut to tails no lower than 58%. https://www.bostonapothecary.com/le-cog ... laud-1958/

With a low wines at 24%, the head sinks at around 74%, by making the cut at 62%, one obtains brandy at 70%.

I love the BostonApothecary. I've read it many times. I love this graph, but maybe I misunderstand you. I don't think the D in the graph indicates when to switch to hearts, it indicates the ABV of the distillate. The second vertical line, where the curve turns down is where hearts are collected in order to get a product of 70% ABV. The D indicates the ABV you will get between the tip of the curve and the C. Maybe that is what you meant, and I'm just mansplaining here?

But my question is more about the experssion heart of hearts, not the hearts cut itself. It defines some sort of essence of the hearts, the core of it. But what is it? Just like cuts, I am pretty sure the definition differs.

[MooseMan]

For me it's when all traces of heads have passed, and I'm taking what is still high proof and pretty neutral and clean tasting but not particularly complex product.
I'll usually take some of this separately for Rums and grain based products, to keep my high proof white rum, and white dog jars topped up respectively.

[SW_Shiner]

I always took it as the very middle bit. So where the 'hearts' is roughly the middle bit that is kept, the heart of hearts, would be the very centre jar.

[Saltbush Bill]

The cleanest smoothest jars somewhere in the middle of the hearts. Not necessarily the most interesting/ tasty jar.
I'ii often swipe that one or two for different projects.
Sometimes used to drink as white dog, or for preserving cherry's or other fruit like peaches.

[Deplorable]

In my shed, that's always meant the middle jar of what I determine to be the "hearts cut". When or if I do keep some of that jar, its usually just a half pint or a pint jar for sippin' when nobody is around.

[bilgriss]

Middle jar, sipping jar - most neutral. Not sure if there's any more technical or specific definition.