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I had a few jars of finished and aged sweetfeed whisky that I decided to tinker with added flavors. So I added a vanilla bean to it. Well after a while I tried it and it was like drinking a vanilla snowcone. So I took the bean out and then in about a month there was no vanilla flavor at all. So what gives? Why did the flavor go away? And what can I do to make it last? Thanks.

Many changes occur during the aging process. I'm sure the vanilla bean added something to the flavor of your product - maybe not in the way you expected. If you're looking for actual vanilla flavor in your drink, try adding a few drops of vanilla extract at the time you drink it.

Around 2011 or so there was a thread called something like the amazing vanilla bean. It was a pretty good thread on adding vanilla beans during the aging process as it also seemed to or appeared help smooth out the drink for some folks. I have used whole vanilla beans in the past some folks cut them up.

Stay away from imitation vanilla...nasty!

Put in the vapor path, scrape the insides out and leave the peal behind, but it on top of a scrubber. You will like the results.

I've noticed the same with cinnamon and the opposite with apple pieces in apple pie made with just fresh apple and cinnamon and sugar. When you take the cinnamon and apple out the cinnamon fades and the apple gets stronger...some must be more....volatile?...vaporising faster and others must get more locked into the two liquids(water+alc). My guess, cinnamon and vanilla is in the alc making it easier for their oils to vaporize and diffuse and the apple more in the water portion.
Just guessing
Jb

rubber duck wrote:Put in the vapor path, scrape the insides out and leave the peal behind, but it on top of a scrubber. You will like the results.

RD, when you do it like that, do you get a kind of paste with the insides? I've only split the beans open to macerate. But what you've suggested sounds interesting. I may just try it in a vanilla bean vodka.
ss

Yes it basically is a past, I find useing the peal makes it bitter.

Wow I will have to try that! Thank you.