I am curious as to which woods are the best for aging your likker. I know we all use the oak's but are there better woods like cherry or maybe a lightly toasted maple that might be better? I've seen some Bourbons in the likker stores as of late that are maple aged so maybe thats the newest trend. If anybody has used something special let us all learn from it. Please chime in with ideas and knowledge or what worked and what did'nt.......and explain what you discovered and why. Thanks to all who particapate.

"I read in the forums that some folks used cherry wood and also plum wood, I bet those add a nice demensions to a lighter style hooch. I've aslo read where some use the charred woods in the heavily flavored corn likkers and try to hide the corn flavor, I wonder why you would go to all the effort to make a corn likker and then try to hide the flavor?
I did'nt say it was wrong I just said -- I wonder why.....

On another note, I have also heard of folks useing smoked peat moss in the aging process (I know its not wood but it was good) and that was a hit. I really liked that allthough I never did it myself the hooch I got to test was pretty good. "

I did a charred oak and apple wood 50/50 blend it turned out really good I put in a corn whiskey at around 130 proof I filled the quart jar half full of chips, and distres aged it for a week freeze it at night then in the sink during the day since water condensed on the outside of the jar freezing to it then melting. I can't say it was really smooth but it was good vanilla flavor with some sour to it. I gotta make some more.

Basically I like using the BBQ smoking chips. I haven't tried the pecan chips yet, but the applewood chips are really good especially if you're making apple brandy. That last batch I made was really good.

The only wood that i've aged with has been white oak. I have some in the wood pile that I split a few years back. I took some of that and took an axe and broke it into small pieces soaked it in water over night then wrapped in foil and put in the oven for a couple of hours. Then i torch it black and bagged it up. Just about every run i save one pint of at least 120 proof that I char/age. I still have some from last year and they smell good. A few of them will be Christmas gifts. I haven't tried any other wood yet.

Got some apple wood 6 inch sticks which I toasted in the oven to what I think a medium toast would be. Used it once wit some commercial toasted oak then set it a fire with the alcohol that was in the wood. Nice deep char on it. Using the same wood no changes on a second stress age with great flavor working