too strong

[drdale]

I did a batch using just cheap white wine. It cam out surprisingly good, especially after sitting with oak for a while. The two heart batches are 165 and 132 proof. A bit strong for me. Do I simply dilute with water or is there a better option?

[dieselduo]

yes you need to proof it (temper). I think you need to read some more

[still_stirrin]

In addition....not all (tempering) water is the same. I strongly suggest using only distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water for tempering. Well water and most city water supplies will have "stuff" in them which may/will cloud your distillate.
ss

[rad14701]

You definitely should have read more earlier because aging proof is 120 - 130 proof... Aging too high or too low will cause different reactions between the wood and the alcohol... You 165 proof aged spirits most likely pulled more compounds out of the wood than intended... The 132 proof was close enough...