 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/9/2007(UTC)
Posts: 10
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"This is a topic I hope more interest. I am only mildly interested in trying different brews from scratch. I have only been distilling for 10 months or so and have settled into a few flavors. Once that happens I tend to stick with the same thing and not try new flavors so getting your opinions help me have more confidence in experimenting.
So far I this is my experience:
Please note before I stated distilling only thing I drank straight was Cuarvo Tequila. I occasionally had some std mixed drinks.
The use the rating: (*=drink if nothing else is available) (***=I like but average) (*****= compares with better commercial grade)
Prestige Brand:
UP Ambrosia Oak with Dried Scotch. with additional oak aging (*****).
I like this scotch. My neighbor is a exclusively a scotch drinker. He frequency has very expensive scotch too. He particularly likes the highland scotches and has been pleasantly surprised by this one. He is always refilling his glass. I began to experiment with oak sticks for aging and found that if I heavily char a 3/8"x3/8"x6" Oak stick and put in the bottle for one month it makes a huge difference. After aging I give it a (*****)
Hanson Rum (****)
I found over time I liked this rum mixed with coke. It has different take that I expected from rum but it like it. I would like to hear other opinion on this.
Bombay Gin Essence (*****)
This is the only Gin I have tried that I know the name of so I do not consider myself an expert on Gin but again I like this.
Kaffe Likör Essence (**)
I heard this is popular but I just did not like it so much. I may not have mixed correctly but it seemed to have a non-coffee taste and smell.
UP Irish whisky (****)
Again I aged with a chard oak stick for one month that that make a big difference
UP Bourbon Whisky (***)
Again I aged with a chard oak stick for one month that that make a big difference
UP Ambrosia French Brandy Essence (****)
Not a brandy expert only use mixed with Kaluha but this works good.
Black Label Golden Tequila Anejo Essence (**)
I am Tequila bigot and have not found recipe to compare with the commercial product. Still Sprits Tequila works as a mixer
Black Label Golden Reserve Rum Essence (****)
This rum is smooth but not a very strong flavor
Still Sprits:
Tequila (***)
OK as a mixer but still favor the commercial products
Cafelua (*****)+
This is great coffee liqueur. Two thumbs up. I used their "Liqueur base C" It"s a bit pricey but very good.
I have brandy, malt whisky and a Schnapps I have not mixed yet."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/13/2007(UTC)
Posts: 86
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Hey! Way Cool, methods of rating should be defined a bit. I like yours. Fair and simple.
The main thing to remember is everyones palate will be different, so incorporating all of the opinions under each brand/ flavor will give a good spectrum for a general consensus on each.
Some thoughts on essence mixing:
1. When preparing each essence, it is critical to define the end product before preparing them. One example being the Anejo tequila. You must know that the last 10% heads and up to 1/3 to 1/2 of tails are present in natural tequila. When preparing the essence, you will either need to prepare the neutral spirit in this manner, or select a commercial neutral spirit that mimics those classic cuts. I had alluded to that with the monarch vodka reference, though some cheaper vodkas would have better 'tequila cuts' to allow the flavor essence to do its job. I believe the burbon and others may please if the original spirit is in line.
Now this isn't BS, since I have mixed 9 of these so far. What I can help you with for certain is that you should not mix a high quality neutral to get the proper flavor. If the spirit quality is high it will taste "watered down" and 'off' from a normal tequila and have little or no appeal.
The very same thing happened with the Scotch essence which requires the correct mix of heads/tails to work out to the stellar performance it is capable of.
2. Before this forum gets out of hand, we should build the criteria for rating, which should be a composite of personal opinion and actual outside testers. The outside testers being ones partial to the specific spirits the essence will mimic, and include tester comments/decisions when possible. This isn't hard since we all know plenty of mooches with tasting experience.....
3. We need to remember that every essence has a regular spirit recipe it is mimicing. The essence A. Keeps one from running a seperate batch for each offering. B. Makes a multitude of spirits available on a moments notice, and all it requires is top shelf and bottom barrel vodkas being on hand.
I can say this as a solid. We had a cocktail party and I planned on rum and vodka drinks. When the guests arrived they asked for tequila drinks (margs) I moved an unmarked decanter of vodka into the kitchen and in a couple shakes we had tequila. Not planned in any way but this sort of flexibility is a good reason to keep 20-30 bucks worth of the essences around and unmixed.
All comments welcome and further essence ratings are more than welcome. Keep em coming! (as I shoot some still spirits white....)
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 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/2/2007(UTC)
Posts: 5
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"Thanks for the info on essence mixing, that does explain why my Scotch and
Tequila are too smooth, my sprits are too pure.
Would no charcoal filtering mimick the ""heads/tails"" mix at all?"
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/13/2007(UTC)
Posts: 86
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"if your filtering during collection, its real hard. If you take larger cuts into the head and tails you will probably get ethel and propanol or other nasties. Also depends on if you run pot or reflux.
Try reducing the filter paper to two layers of melita coffee filter first instead of filter paper. this should reduce contact time by half.
If not, try 2/3 of the carbon volume too.
And trust me, there is no spirit too smooth, but you could spoil yourself too much to ever drink reg. again.
One more thing. read every label. some call for sugar and other additives, that are required to balance the flavors."
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/24/2004(UTC)
Posts: 3
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I agree with you "cant get it to smooth ",, I added Canidian whisky essence and let marrie for about 10 day's . The out come was as follows , tasted like Crown Royal with out the perfume smell .. Crown Royal is good , dont get me wrong , but the smell is " hold your nose befor drinking " As we all know , or at least some of us , if we will admit ,, no two batches comes out alike , same still ,same limestone water , same everything , very hard to get the same thing twice , I gave some of my good Canidian Whisky away and havent been able to produce it that good again . If its that good , DONT GIVE IT AWAY !!!! I know , keep a log ,,, maybe it was the yeast , the water , the heat , the cut ,, who knows !! Rick has some good essence !!!!
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/10/2010(UTC)
Posts: 70
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When yall are using all of these essences to flavor with, is your alcohol from a sugar wash?
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/6/2012(UTC)
Posts: 133
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I would hope so ! I don't use store bought essence but frequently add stuff, cherry wood, oak, cheries, mint leaves etc. I think a nice clear sugar wash is what you want and if your looking for 100 proof, I like 130, you better start off with a higher proof cause you'll be diluting it with anything you put in there.
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