Toasting and charring experiment

[usaftrevor87]

Can't wait!! Been following this for awhile now

[MichiganCornhusker]

Update time!!! The jars have been pulled from the shed rafters and placed on the kitchen table with the kids removed! I also have covered them with coffee filters to let them air for at least 24 hrs before the actual taste testing commences.

What time do you want us to show up tomorrow, Bois? What was your address again?...

[BoisBlancBoy]

Glad you guys are as interested as I am! Cornhusker I wish I could tell you!

[craftdist]

Great thread... Looking forward to hearing your results!

[BoisBlancBoy]

Ok everyone, first I have to say that the smells between the jars were all different. Some noticeably different some very similar. Being inexperienced trying to distinguish and explain some of the findings is proving very difficult. The tasting was the hardest part. We rated them on smoothness, vanilla, sweetness, bitterness and smokiness. Even then the sweet and vanilla tones was hard.

In our opinion any jar that didn't have a toast or a char tasted like garbage! Seems that without both some sort of combination of charring and toasting didn't give the product the correct profile of flavor that would be completely out of balance. White dog would be better than those.

Now there was one that we both determined to be our favorite, the DT-DC. Which was completely opposite of what we anticapated. During the smell porton we both thought it had a heavy smoke flavor, but when tasted the smoke flavor meshed well with the product, it was a light smoke taste. It was extremely smooth. It also had a very light sweet and vanilla flavor. The bitter note was also light but accompanied the other flavors very well. Slight warming sensation throughout the mouth.

Now we also had a jar of SF that has been aging for about 7 months that also had a DT-DC that we thought we should sample. It's findings were identical to the above paragraph. Simply wonderful. With that said before again the SF was the worst tasting white dog of all the different products we have tried but after aging it is by far my favorite.

So hands down the DT-DC wins. I wish I could better explain what the finding on all the other jars but some were just too close to put a finger on it. But I am going to study our notes to see if I can correlate the chars and toasts to certain characteristics that were found but while sorting that out I didn't want you guys to be kept waiting. I think we will do another taste test to trying to get a better handle on even those we didn't like.

If you have any questions or comments please ask and I will be happy to answer them. I encourage anyone that also has aging experience to post your thoughts as well.

[BoisBlancBoy]

Really? Not one comment or question? Haha, I know I didn't have a lot of details but geez.

[HDNB]

i think we were all waiting on your sorting and comments on the whole shootin match.

learning that DC=color and DT= more flavour, makes sense that both would produce a stronger flavour profile and deeper, richer color. and drinking lots of different ones at the same time, seems that the strong flavour would stand out.

i'm still subscribed and hoping for more detail...to see what additional tasting sessions and comparision of the notes will reveal.

[BoisBlancBoy]

More will come! Sensory overload I'll tell ya. My problem is describing what I have found, never been too good at that. Hope I get it sorted out well enough to pass on good information for others to be able to use.

[usaftrevor87]

Is there any 2nd best you liked? Can you just post the size of your char sticks again? Thanks

[BoisBlancBoy]

I can't remember what was my 2nd fav was but I'm going to be testing some more. The oak sticks were sized at 5"X1"x1".

[WithOrWithoutU2]

BBB,

I am very curious to hear what you thought of the Toasted (light and Dark), but no char at all. Even if you can't remember the specific flavor profile, knowing if you liked it or not would be helpful.

[Saltbush Bill]

From my experience of light toast, heavy toast and char, none are better or worse.., they are just different.
Some suit some spirits more than other's.
In the end its personal choice......what you like.

[BoisBlancBoy]

BBB,

I am very curious to hear what you thought of the Toasted (light and Dark), but no char at all. Even if you can't remember the specific flavor profile, knowing if you liked it or not would be helpful.

I don’t remember not the exact profile but I do remember I thought it wasn’t good at all. To me it was woody and bitter.

[BoisBlancBoy]

From my experience of light toast, heavy toast and char, none are better or worse.., they are just different.
Some suit some spirits more than other's.
In the end its personal choice......what you like.

I do agree with this a lot. But from my experience is that I found the dark char seemed to mellow the spirits out more and the dark toast may add a heavier flavor.

[WithOrWithoutU2]

BBB,

I am very curious to hear what you thought of the Toasted (light and Dark), but no char at all. Even if you can't remember the specific flavor profile, knowing if you liked it or not would be helpful.

I don’t remember not the exact profile but I do remember I thought it wasn’t good at all. To me it was woody and bitter.

Thanks for doing the experiment and the response to my specific question.

[BoisBlancBoy]

BBB,

I am very curious to hear what you thought of the Toasted (light and Dark), but no char at all. Even if you can't remember the specific flavor profile, knowing if you liked it or not would be helpful.

I don’t remember not the exact profile but I do remember I thought it wasn’t good at all. To me it was woody and bitter.

Thanks for doing the experiment and the response to my specific question.

No problem. I do recommend if you have the time and drive to do the experiment yourself do it. It will teach you so much and you’ll learn exactly what your specific tastes are.

[shadylane]

Thanks, for experimenting and sharing the info
I wonder how the charred experiment will change with aging?

[BoisBlancBoy]

Thanks, for experimenting and sharing the info
I wonder how the charred experiment will change with aging?

It was fun to do. What exactly are you asking?