Unicorn, riding a unicorn over a rainbow
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 3:04 pm
I have a unique batch of spirits and I’m just not sure how to age/finish it. I thought I would throw this quandary out to the HD universe and see what comes of it......
My Unicorn, riding a unicorn over a rainbow is a wheated bourbon grain bill with 10% toasted oats. The oats were toasted to a deep amber level. What makes this batch most unique (to me) is from the use of some ridiculously strong infected backset in the ferment. The current result is a new make that is an extremely fruity bourbon with a strong toasted oat presence in taste.
Where all that fruit came from; infected backset. The infection was alive for 5-8 months, and I adjusted PH to keep things active the entire time, then it sat dormant for a few more months. About 40% evaporation so what was left was condensed and quite strong. This turned out to be the strongest/stinkiest stuff I’ve ever made. Once that smell got on something, it was a chore to wash it out. It smelled like vomit, which from my reading is what I wanted to produce fruity notes. That turns out to be very true. Once I pitched yeast it took three days to go from the worst smell I have ever had in my space, to an intense fruitiness with no remnants of that stench.
In retrospect, I think using 10% backset by volume was way too much with backset this intense. Maybe 5% or less would have been better. Even though this was infected bourbon backset, I sure wish I had saved half of this for a batch of rum because my rums have never turned out this fruity. (Not yet.)
Stripped and pot stilled at 80% off the still. The spirit smells way more fruity than any product I’ve made before, including my rums. The dominate smell is fruit but under that I can smell my bourbon. A new taste for me is what I think are the toasted oats. Not bad; a strong toast taste that coats the mouth and lingers. Maybe half the toasted oats next time too, and/or perhaps a lighter toast level.
I took my standard barrel cut, which includes both late heads and early tails and is done by taste at both ends. With that, I have a fruit dominant smelling spirit that tastes like bourbon with the addition of that toasted oat taste.
I pulled the heart of hearts jar before mixing my barrel cut. Even at the heart of the run, fruit smell is still very noticeable and the taste of toasted oats is strong along with other bourbon notes.
So back to my original quandary: how do I finish this thing? If you have worked with an extremely fruity whiskey before I would love to hear how you finished it, how it turned out, and possibly what you might try yourself with this batch I’m sitting on.
Some of my thoughts so far: There is already a lot going on in this spirit. Because of the toasted oat taste and fruity smell, I don’t think I want to add a lot of char to the mix to cover that up and it’s not exactly a traditional bourbon profile anyway. I’m thinking of possibly using a lighter toast on the oak, or possibly using a second use bourbon barrel (12 months use). If I go with new wood, I have both seasoned Am Oak and seasoned Oregon Oak to choose from. The Or Oak is lighter and sweeter, more akin to French Oak, so that may be a good option to not cover all the rest going on.
Fruit wood is also an option for finishing this, but I think I would oak/age the spirit first before I try to add more complexity to it. I’ll make that decision after it’s aged on oak. With all the fruit already in this, that would likely be overkill.
Thanks in advance for any wisdom you may share. Otis
My Unicorn, riding a unicorn over a rainbow is a wheated bourbon grain bill with 10% toasted oats. The oats were toasted to a deep amber level. What makes this batch most unique (to me) is from the use of some ridiculously strong infected backset in the ferment. The current result is a new make that is an extremely fruity bourbon with a strong toasted oat presence in taste.
Where all that fruit came from; infected backset. The infection was alive for 5-8 months, and I adjusted PH to keep things active the entire time, then it sat dormant for a few more months. About 40% evaporation so what was left was condensed and quite strong. This turned out to be the strongest/stinkiest stuff I’ve ever made. Once that smell got on something, it was a chore to wash it out. It smelled like vomit, which from my reading is what I wanted to produce fruity notes. That turns out to be very true. Once I pitched yeast it took three days to go from the worst smell I have ever had in my space, to an intense fruitiness with no remnants of that stench.
In retrospect, I think using 10% backset by volume was way too much with backset this intense. Maybe 5% or less would have been better. Even though this was infected bourbon backset, I sure wish I had saved half of this for a batch of rum because my rums have never turned out this fruity. (Not yet.)
Stripped and pot stilled at 80% off the still. The spirit smells way more fruity than any product I’ve made before, including my rums. The dominate smell is fruit but under that I can smell my bourbon. A new taste for me is what I think are the toasted oats. Not bad; a strong toast taste that coats the mouth and lingers. Maybe half the toasted oats next time too, and/or perhaps a lighter toast level.
I took my standard barrel cut, which includes both late heads and early tails and is done by taste at both ends. With that, I have a fruit dominant smelling spirit that tastes like bourbon with the addition of that toasted oat taste.
I pulled the heart of hearts jar before mixing my barrel cut. Even at the heart of the run, fruit smell is still very noticeable and the taste of toasted oats is strong along with other bourbon notes.
So back to my original quandary: how do I finish this thing? If you have worked with an extremely fruity whiskey before I would love to hear how you finished it, how it turned out, and possibly what you might try yourself with this batch I’m sitting on.
Some of my thoughts so far: There is already a lot going on in this spirit. Because of the toasted oat taste and fruity smell, I don’t think I want to add a lot of char to the mix to cover that up and it’s not exactly a traditional bourbon profile anyway. I’m thinking of possibly using a lighter toast on the oak, or possibly using a second use bourbon barrel (12 months use). If I go with new wood, I have both seasoned Am Oak and seasoned Oregon Oak to choose from. The Or Oak is lighter and sweeter, more akin to French Oak, so that may be a good option to not cover all the rest going on.
Fruit wood is also an option for finishing this, but I think I would oak/age the spirit first before I try to add more complexity to it. I’ll make that decision after it’s aged on oak. With all the fruit already in this, that would likely be overkill.
Thanks in advance for any wisdom you may share. Otis
I found a hazelnut farmer clearing a field right now. I’ll be out there with a chainsaw later this week, when the rains subside. Fresh cuts, so it will be summer before the wood is dry. I’ll check for tannins then and see if it needs seasoning.