Honey butter vanilla hazelnut rum

[distiller_dresden]

I'm just mashing this in today, and I owe it's recipe/process to a few different people -- thanks to distilling goddess Corene for the malted red wheat/molasses combo idea for the vanilla rum -

Been trying a bunch of things . We tried malted rye as well makes for a little bit of a peppery taste . This batch was 24 gallons of water with 2 gallons of fancy molasses , 24 pounds of dark brown sugar and 10 pounds of malted red wheat. We used 14 gallons of hot water to blend the sugar and molassas then mashed 10 pounds of malted red wheat and 10 gallons of water at 148 degrees , then added it to the wash. I just use plain Red Star bakers yeast and ferment at 82 to 84 degrees. It takes about 6 days to finish.

Aaaand to ShineOn for the butter rum treatment(see here: viewtopic.php?f=101&t=70778 ). We'll see how it turns out - here we go, and here's what I got/what I'm doing!

HONEY-BUTTER VANILLA RUM
4.75 gal water
3 lbs malted red wheat
1 lb honey malt
.5 gal hq molasses
6 lbs dark brown sugar
Few drops olive oil
Servomyces capsule (1)
5g Fermaid K
21g Red Star baker's yeast (3 packs), 85F ferment
approx. 10.5% ABV finish

Heated 2 gals water to 165F, strike temp, then added the malted red and honey malt, which have all been ground/milled/food processed to very fine. Stirring every half hour, and also added 1tsp of amylase enzyme just in case/for kickers. Once this has gotten finished I'll filter through a mesh bag I have and pour the rest of my water into the fermenting barrel, then add the molasses and brown sugar.

Before I started the water heating up I mixed a tblsp of brown sugar into 16oz of water and added the 3pks of yeast to hydrate and letting them build somewhat, so that when I pitch in several hours they have had about 6-8 hours to multiply and create a starter.

Night before distillation - into pot still, heat to 135F, hold 2 hours, let cool overnight. -- creates butter flavor

Once this is distilled, and I think I'm going to age it in one of my new BadMo barrels for some time, then I think I'm going to use some all natural alcohol-based extract to add a touch of Hazelnut to it. This is what I have in mind -- I've read it's otherwise really hard to get hazelnut into alcohol as in via hydrosol or only via maceration which would cloud.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H7 ... =UTF8&th=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[distiller_dresden]

Quick note, everything finally mashed in, brew-in-bag worked great to filter the grains off the water and I added the rest of the water over them through the bag to get any residual sugars. The flavor of the final mash wash is AMAZING, it's malty brown sugar that's only slightly molasses from the half gallon and what is in the dark brown. Delicious flavors that go extremely well together. Final ABV should fall around 10-10.5%.

[distiller_dresden]

Got my first two BadMo barrels. A double batch of this stuff is going in one! I bought a bottle of Zaya this weekend; it is NOT the 'world class' or whatever shit the label claims, rum it portends to be. Opening the bottle and a smell is one immediate thought: vanilla extract. The sip is much better than vanilla extract, the immediate flavor is rummy, spicey, some brown sugar, but over-powered with vanilla primarily, and caramel. Swallowing it's not aged much, or well.

But that's all just FINE! I've poured the bottle into my new BadMo barrel and turned the barrel on its face with the bung hammered in, so this can soak into the wood and take a bit of the brand new/fresh toasted oakiness off. The idea is maybe just a touch, after a month's soak, of the initial punch of oak will come off and not over-oak my new-make white buttered-process vanilla rum. Shooting to get at least 1.3-1.4L into the barrel after I drain off the Zaya, and that vanilla/caramel soak-punch should do some great things, and plenty for my vanilla rum. Once it comes out in 8-12 months (really want to leave it in at 120 proof for a year) I'm going to use the all-natural hazelnut flavoring, which I have on hand already and stored away in my distilling pantry/cabinet, to get the hazelnut notes I'd like.

Just looking for a 'note' of hazelnut, not a flavor of it; for it to visit you on the nose, and to dance over your tongue on some sips occasionally, but to be fleeting, like a fae lover. Really shooting for this rum to be the best I've ever made, thus the barrel! My interpretation of something like Ron Anejo Pampero Anniversario or Zacapa Solera 23 that's barrel aged and has smooth vanilla to it, just bordering between something bitter and something sweet, with a solid 'RUM' statement to it, not something like the (my opinion) over-oaked rums that are popping up from micro-distilleries and becoming popular lately. Rum IMO shouldn't have too much oak, and those two are great options, for a bit less and with less 'body' and lighter is the Appleton Reserve which I also enjoy, but I wish it had more 'darkness' to it and more oak vanilla/caramel without the oak chips flavor of the Appleton 12.

[vqstatesman]

Subscribed. Waiting in anticipation.

[distiller_dresden]

Update - after a little deeper cuts so I would have enough yield with some hearts-tails cuts for complexity, I duplicated the recipe. Meanwhile the barrel soaked up the rum in preparation, let it get 4 weeks. I kept the double batch of 'vanilla' red wheat molasses rum white and in a big 2.5 gallon jar, I had a gallon and a half, just under, with the two batches combined. The butter didn't take real well, I don't know it it was something about the red wheat (per ShineOn's butter rum process) or what, but there was enough there to get mouthfeel and flavor of butter. The rum itself, even white, was smooth and yet sweet, slightest bit of the malted red wheat malt flavor carried into it. This has all been in the barrel for a month now, nearly.

I stole a sample yesterday and it has barely taken any color or oak, but it was smooth to sip at 120 and even smoother at 80 (I proofed down just a couple tblsps of it). It definitely has a unique taste, from straight molasses rum, smoother and creamier and sweeter. The distillate has a sweetness to it from the red wheat that I like. I think this is one that would be enjoyable white, as much as I think it's usually a shame to leave stuff white to miss out on the effects of wood aging. I'd definitely recommend trying out the base recipe. I'll be updating here monthly as the rum develops in the barrel; I've moved it to the garage, with these temps I expect it to get deeper into the wood and pull more from it faster than it had sitting on a shelf in my bedroom at 70F.

[distiller_dresden]

Stole a bigger sip of this as it's been in the garage heat for longer; not much change, but it has definitely become a slight blend of a super smooth white wheat single malt and a straight blackstrap rum. The combination is fascinating and the tails have started to develop already. There is a familiar but far from normal 'whiskey' flavor, but it's more 'scotchy', without any wood really yet - like white/unwooded red wheat single malt, of course, and then the rum holding it all together. I think in 7-8 months this is going to be something special; it really has a residual sweetness like from any malt-distilled sips, and from the rum what happens when a blackstrap distillate hits oak and begins developing those rummy esters. The two combine with a smoothness that seems all 'single malt white' and I just can't wait for this to age...

[distiller_dresden]

Long term update kids!

I finally pulled this from the badmo tonight. It is CRAZY buttery and vanilla-full, as well as smooth like a white oat or wheat whisky, but no whisky flavor, then it has flavors of cake, malt, brown sugar or panela (honey?). I haven't US treated it or proofed down yet, it's at 118/59%. Tomorrow will proof down to 46.5% and give it several US treatments, then back sweeten and add alcohol hazelnut extract very slowly to balance everything properly; may use palm sugar to back sweeten, heated and filtered, since it has that creamy frosting flavor to it... Will update!

Surprised when I did the 'butter' process I got nothing, but there's butter there in spades now, and mouth feel.

It had plenty of badmo time, I really didn't want it over-oaked or 'whiskied', and the oak is pronounced, but balanced, just barely overpowering and where I'd prefer it, which is perfect for ultrasonic treatments, then proofing down. Then it will be just right.

[OtisT]

Sounds like it’s coming along nicely DD and you sure have come a long way in the last year. . I’m interested to see how the addition of hazelnut turns out for you as I live in the center of the hazelnut universe.

I love those badmo barrels. Is your badmo toasted and charred, or just toasted? I have some panela rum in a handful of different style badmos but have not tried them yet, Its only been 3 or 4 months. After reading your thread it make me want to check on them. Maybe this weekend.

Otis

[distiller_dresden]

I don't know I'll get it done today, we'll see, but this weekend for sure. Given your interest, you can be a recipient of the first sample to go out Otis! PM me? I am excited to get to it, but I have half gallons each of blueberry brandy and apple brandy, and 1 gallon each of this and my 'pancake' (maple syrup) rum to also 'process', i.e. proof down, give ultrasonic treatments, then decide on any back sweetening (in addition to the flavoring I need to add to this one). But coming out of this weekend I'll have 1.5 gallons of brandy and almost 3 gal of rum ready to share and drink, that's awesome!!

I'd be happy to share with you given your expertise and experience, for feedback and opinion, any of those.

My badmo were both new, medium plus toasted, no char. I have a 5 gallon oak barrel in the garage from Blackbird Distillery in PA that's toasted and charred, used once for their bourbon whiskey. I'm currently on the mash and cook side making rum after rum wash, varying ingredients, then once I make cuts, I blend them all together. I have 3 gal of cut rum ready for it now, and 5 gal tails I need cook this weekend I'm hoping for at least 1.5 gal cuts out of so I can fill said barrel, and then forget it besides moving it atop a vent, then into the garage for spring and summer heat swings.

[Alchemist75]

Wow, that's a yumgasm. I'm gonna pass this recipe to my best friend, he's a fan of rum and ferments it semi regularly.

[distiller_dresden]

The red wheat/molasses genesis was from corene1, but the honey malt was my own genius imagination lol. It really comes out after aging, and the real surprise is how the butter process didn't seem to work for me (ShineOn's), but now, man, there is butter like you mixed honey butter in it, and the wheat plays background as a smooth creamy nearly vanilla vibe, and this just works amazing together. I can't wait to get the hazelnut in there and give it some sonic treatments, this stuff is gonna be amazing. I would love to send some samples out, PM me Alch - you helped me a lot on that EU bitters I will be making in March.

[Beerswimmer]

Keep us up to date on this, a cake flavored product has me drooling!

[distiller_dresden]

It's done!

End backsweetening is 9.5g per liter, with 25% panela and maple, and 50% orange blossom honey. It burns lips and throat after u swallow, but it is also 44% (I dropped down little) and it really rolls into mouth with the same 'cooling' wetness water does. It's really good, and the flavors are all subtly within the already there natural oak and rum flavors. U wont be overpowered by honey or hazelnut or butter, it's all background shading. That's not to say they're not noticeable enough, I feel I've reached a perfect balance with the Olive Nation alcohol based hazelnut extract, only at about 1 tsp per quart.

The red wheat really has an influence in a creaminess and the above mentioned 'water' coolness, it's refreshing to drink this rum. It's my first rum with 'flavoring' which I was real cautious about and you can see by time stamps I've taken a lot of time, adding flavor very slowly and doing US treatments after and then letting it sit 24-48 hours before I would taste, and then letting the glass breathe for about 10 minutes before I finally taste a sip.

This is something special, even if you don't add any hazelnut and want to make this, follow my ratios of malted red wheat and molasses - I'd sub panela or turbinado in a pinch for the brown sugar, keeping in mind most panela is 80-85% sugar (the rest is sugarcane by products and waxes, which definitely help toward the formation of esters) so adjust your amounts if using panela. I think it could also be great subbing in 5lbs of coconut sugar for 4lbs of the brown sugar (coconut sugar is lower than 80% sugar due to the same, and particulate that settles, you'll see). Coconut sugar has a natural nuttiness primarily that is buttery but not coconutty, and then secondary it has a floral quality in distillate. I don't think 5lbs would be enough for the floral, but it would the nutty, which could conceivably make a 'honey nut butter' rum without using any flavoring.

Very pleased! I am considered already to send out a few sample bottles to grow my 'legend' lol... Take initiative, and be a frequent poster (because if you don't post, how does that help me?).

[JohnsMyName]

I tried some of this yesterday, full review to come, but OMG the smell of it. I don't know how DD got this smell. It literally smells the way a Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly tastes and it isn't faint. Craziest smelling spirit I've ever smelled.

[distiller_dresden]

viewtopic.php?f=101&t=70778

ShineOn's butter process! Although this is the only batch I did it where it worked, and unlike everyone else who got butter after distillation, mine didn't come until I'd aged it in a badmo 6 mos. Also, I aged it one more month before badmo in glass with birch, which does add subtle buttery flavor and smell, but not the mouthfeel.

ShineOn's process, which later in the thread I had discussions and research and listed a number of techniques to use in order to maximize the butter/diacetyl. Again, though, it hasn't worked but once for me in spite of doing it to several batches. Then only after aging, when I pulled from the badmo the butter was STRONG.