Home Distiller

Just looking for some input, opinions or experiences

I've got some single malted barley wash ready to go through the still.
I'm not exactly sure what flavour i'm looking for but im thinking of distilling twice and then adding toasted oak chips for a few months.
I've read some stuff about people using sherry and adding bourbon.


I dont want to add bourbon but the sherry intrigues me, anyone done this before with a good result?
i'll be having a party in summer after me and my team finish this years tough mudder challenge (running thing)
so i want something to show and be proud of.

the was is 8-9 ABV and i will probably have some oak somewhere that i'll get toasted, i was also wondering about using apple tree wood, anyone ever tried this with whiskey or is it a no go?

I've heard of adding sherry or port to get a red color. No idea what it does to the taste.

I've also heard some say they like aging with fruit woods.

Sorry I don't have any personal experience.

Try the parent site "Aging" section.

I think Jimbo just posted about Corene's experiment with soaking oak in sherry prior to aging. Sounds yummy

soaking the oak in sherry sounds good, i'll have a look

If you are wanting some of the flavor profile of good scotches soak your oak sticks in sherry for quite a while (more than 2 weeks) then let them air dry for at least two weeks, this will set some of the sherry flavor into the wood. I'd toast the sticks before giving them the soak so they will closely represent a sherry cask stave. Be sure the oak you use has been air dried not kiln dried so your flavor profile is closer to the real barrel experience. The barrels they use for the finer scotches are toasted French oak sherry barrels. These are not charred, just toasted.