Home Distiller

i've just been watching a great programme about a norwegian eau de vie distillery. one thing i noticed is the still master must go home quite merry every night. instead of using sight tests, he took a more hands on approach and tasted the product himself every so often. one trick i learnt was when checking for tails, the guy put the distillate in his palm and rubbed his hands together then took a sniff. he said the alcohol evaporates quickly and you will instantly recognise any tails coming through. a nice litle trick i'll try next time. i didn't realise what went into making eau de vie. the mashman was adding things like star anise and almonds to the mash. they explained that flavours are altered when they are fermented and you dont nescessarily end up with the same flavours you put in. also when doing the tails cut, some parts of the tails are kept and blended back with the final product before aging.

i'm glad i watched this programe as it gained me a little knowledge into making flavoured spirits.