My whiskey changes flavor

[shizam]

I have been distilling for about 6 months now and have had a reoccurring problem. The issue is that my whiskey keeps changing flavor. I have gotten much better at making my cuts and I purchased a 5 gallon barrel to age said whiskey. This last week I gave a bottle to a close friend. I then drove back to my home town and shared a bottle with my uncle and a friend of his. They where absolutely amazed at how great the whiskey was. It was smooth with a nice hint of vanilla. I felt that I had finally made a whiskey that I could be proud of.

I asked my friend what he though and he told me that it tasted a little "ethanolie." I drove back home near said friend and tried some more of my great creation. Only to find that my "great creation" wasn't so great. So what they hell happened? I suspect that it may have to do with the climate. When I shared my whiskey with my uncle, it was cool and damp out. When I went back home it was hot and dry.

Has anyone else had this issue? My whiskey went from top shelf to bottom shelf swill in just a few days. It went from a smooth clean whiskey to tasting like jet fuel.

[srs787]

Barrel aging is not a simple project or for the faint of heart. I am thinking your whiskey is still very young, you did not say how long it was aged or what the barrel oaking was.You got some good licker, sample the barrel every few days. When the taste is what you want, bottle it. srs