As-Ol-Joe wrote:Husker, I tried your vanilla and maple syrup idea on a pint of oaked corn whiskey. Used 6 drops of vanilla and 10ml of maple syrup. I could hardly taste the flavors. It maybe my taste buds (throat has been sore).
Do you let it sit for a while before drinking or does that matter?
I like both flavors, and I want to get the amounts right.
The flavors should be there from the get go, but I do let things settle out for a few weeks.
The point of adding these, is not to make it taste like Kahlua, or some other liquor (at least in my opinion). What I am doing is to add a finishing "touch" to the whiskey, without overpowering using oak, and to also speed up the process just a bit.
If others are looking for a sweet wild turkey flavor (or southern comfort or some other whiskey/liquor product), then you will probably have to add a LOT more of the syrup, or even add some additional "ingredients". If shooting for WT, I would start with the real maple syrup and vanilla, but use more than what I have suggested (quite a bit more). Do it in stages, so you don't over do it, and KEEP notes of what you added, so that next time you add the right amount. If you add a lot of syrup, let it set a month or 2 to settle, and rack off from any sediment (there will likely be some). A couple other things to look at when experimenting like this, are glycerin, and home made caramel. However, my intent was not to overpower the flavor, just to open it up, and "finish" it out.
H.