Flavoring Recomended and NOT

[marc83]

I like the gold medal bodines bourbon,a bit different from the first taste,it grew on me,im a JD drinker and this one goes down well with me-not the same but i like it.Leave it on a handfull of chips for a couple of weeks and try it.

Havent tried the SS originals bourbon,but have the SS top shelf bourbon,havent in a while,not too bad.Try a bunch,you will soon find your favourite.

[Deutscher]

I'll give Gold Medal a try.
I'm not a bourbon drinker but when I smell my SS Original... it doesn't have a bourbon aroma.. it just smells like alcohol. The SS says to use 7.5ml (I think) per L. I used about 10ml. I haven't tasted it yet, I hate bourbon XD so I wouldn't know what it's meant to taste like anyway.
Is there a particular brand you recommend? which have you had the best results with? Where I bought my gear from only sold Top Shelf & SS Original so I've been testing different Top Shelfs & SS's. But theres a whole bunch of different brands and if I try every single one... it'll take forever & cost me lots too haha.
I think I'll try Gold Medal because it's most expensive (AUD $13.95 Flavours 2.25L) I've found, give that a go on some chips, and after that I'll buy the cheapest brand and oak it & See the difference.
Which is better for a JD? Out of the Gold Medal range.
Edit: I'll use "Jack Daniels Oak Soaker Chips" (AUD $8.95 for 100g)

Edit: I know most expensive doesn\'t necessarily mean best but I need to start somewhere, might aswell start the most expensive and work my way down (just in case I think the cheapest tastes awesome and never move from that. I\'d never know what \'could\' be better )

[Deutscher]

I\'m looking for a good \"Creme de Menthe\"

At the local brew store I can get:
Willumsens - Makes 1L for $6.50

Olde Settlers - Makes 1.125L for $7.50

Spirits Unlimited - Makes 1L for $7.95
Anyone got a recommendation?

I usually use wine bottles (750mls) for all my essences. So the fact Olde Settlers makes 1.125L is regardless too me.

[Phantom]

See, I\'m getting a bit confused here. I haven\'t seen any essences, apart from the likes of Gert Strands Absinthe offered in any bigger than either 1 or 3 bottle size packs i.e. like the 2.25 litre packs or the 750ml packs (that\'s packs, bottles, sachets, etc etc).
Now don\'t get me wrong, I\'m all for anything that reduces cost (larger packs etc), but surely if you\'re making/mixing some to \"your own taste\" it gives people a false idea of whether it tastes anything like \"the original\".....
The absinthe kit I got, well, that came with full instructions, so I knew that it was a 20ml per bottle measure. Whereas, some of the prestige/ambrosia packs need 20mls as well - Ok so that\'s what it says on the side of the pack/bottle.
But the Still Spirits packs, well that seems to be 28 mls per 1.125 litres in the 2 sachet packs (haven\'t checked the newer 1 litre size pack yet).
Now I\'ve also got some essencia flavourings, and that is different again, it seems that they use 28ml packs that are to flavour 2.25 litres.
See what I mean, it\'s sort of getting a little confusing, hence it\'s clear that there are different strength flavouring essences across the various ranges.
So I\'m thinking that this thread might be better if we stick to the pack instructions of whatever brand we\'re trying, then at least we\'re \"all singing from the same song sheet\" and are explaining why, or not, we like whatever.
Then any variations can be posted/threaded separately.... Having tasted the \"bench mark\" version of something would give clarity to those who might what to try something specific themselves....
regards
P.
p.s. and I\'m not trying to be fussy, but it\'s the same sort of reasoning why they say to use 40% spirit. Because that\'s what the essence is aimed at flavouring, to taste \"correct\". If you tried a stronger or weaker spirit, then it\'s gonna taste different (if you\'ve ever tasted a commercially produced over proof rum, then you\'ll know what I mean i.e. tasting like vodka with a hint of rum.....)

[Deutscher]

Phantom,

That is true, didn\'t even really think about that.

I used 750mls is because that\'s the standard bottle size. Everything comes in 750mls... wine, spirits, liqueurs. A lot of essences do 1.125L but I have never seen a glass 1.125L bottle before (dont want to use plastic) & it\'s hard to come by 1L bottles. Maybe it\'s just the standard in Oz.

[Phantom]

That is true, didn\'t even really think about that.

I used 750mls is because that\'s the standard bottle size. Everything comes in 750mls... wine, spirits, liqueurs. A lot of essences do 1.125L but I have never seen a glass 1.125L bottle before (dont want to use plastic) & it\'s hard to come by 1L bottles. Maybe it\'s just the standard in Oz.

Well yes, you\'re right, sort of...... like 2.25 is 750 x 3 anyway if you mixed up the 2 x 1.125 litre sachets, though I suspect that that\'s also equal to the 40oz bottles that are (apparently) available in the US - whereas, the change (by SS anyway) from 2.25 litre to 1 litre packs is more of an excuse for a rebrand, but also to push the price up a little without us noticing.
Well I\'ve noticed..... and it\'s bloody annoying, because I wasn\'t fussed at having to make 3 bottles at a time. One for "giveaways" and 2 to test/enjoy etc.....
of course, if you\'re buying the Prestige flavourings, then they\'re made to flavour a 750ml bottle anyway..... Swedish efficiency I suppose, seeing as how most of the world does use the 750ml bottle as a standard.
I guess that it\'s a business thing that they (Gert Strand et al) made to sell it in small "bottle" type containers. Though the after thought of changing to sachets, as I\'m getting the impression that no consideration was originally given to the international market so they\'re trying to catch up a bit and that sachets will be cheaper shipping, but at the same time, because of the expense of having to have the plastic printed, only wanting to supply the sachets for the "popular" flavours...
Funny when you think about it, there\'s lots of different considerations.... maybe it would be easier if they did just sell them in a few different sized "chemical type" containers with stickers for the bottles and instructions like the "absinthe kit". Then you could buy anything from 20mls for 1 bottle to 1 litre etc etc....
Hell, who knows. Who knows whether anyone apart from us lot actually read any of this.......

[Deutscher]

I see what you mean.

I've never used the SS sachets before. I've always used the bottles. I didn't understand what you meant by sachets at first because I've never paid attention to those.
I've never used the Prestige range.. they are really cheap and makes me think cheap quality lol. Sometimes I wish they'd have some 500ml essence bottles which'd make heaps. Those little bottles are annoying.
I'm on HomeDistillers forum and they have a similiar thread... but it doesn't get used much at all. I've found this a lot more helpful.
Edit: I'll have to give the Prestige a go. $4.95 ($4.80USD) + liqueur mix to make 750ml is good. + There's heaps of different flavours.
Edit: It\'s really hard to compare essences.. I\'ve used Top Shelf Irish Cream first time.. it was really good.. then I tried Spirits Unlimited and it wasn\'t good... couldn\'t drink it.. but not sure if it\'s the essence or the alcohol.

[smarthousesys]

No one seems to have mentioned the Gert Strand \'allfreefreight\' site which offers bulk

essences in 280ml and 1000ml bottles. A very fair all up freight charge of 70Kr thats about £7 in the UK. I have bought a couple and the service is excellent and it saves messing aroung with those silly little bottles and packets. Doesnt cover the full range but a lot of the popular ones.

[Andy]

Got a linky for us smarthousesys???

[smarthousesys]

Hi Its www.allfreightfree.com Cheers

[Phantom]

Ha! I can\'t say for certain but I\'m thinking that my \"absinthe kit\" came through that site.....
And that makes 14 bottles (280mls and labels)
Gonna have another look though, my problem is that I favour SS classic flavourings and the only prestige one that SS cant touch is the \"malt\" whisky flavour. I really like that one......

[Legless]

Just looking in the baking section of the supermarket this morning - has anyone tried using any of those essences (even just a few drops in a bottle of spirit?)

[Deutscher]

Ok,

I\'m in desperate need of help.

I\'m trying to make Irish Cream & it always tastes weird.

I\'ve tried the SS Irish Cream with SS Cream Base (think this was best), then tried Spirits Unlimited with Spirits Unlimited Cream Base, now I just tried Prestige with real whipping cream.

Does anyone have a favourite of the Irish Cream that I could try? also do you use the Cream Bases or real cream? In Aus we don\'t have Half/Half (Which Prestige recommends).

[optic]

I have found that the SS Irish cream with the base mix is like you say the best of the bunch.What I have found to be a close second and everyone else that has tried it is a bottle of the Prestige essence mixed with a 410grm tin of evaporated milk then topped up to 750mls with 40% spirit.Only downside is you need to keep it in the fridge and it needs to be drank in about a week of mixing,although its normally been drank long before then..lol,and it works out a hell of a lot cheaper than using SS.

Optic

[Phantom]

Latest test (and recommend) is for Still Spirits "Top Shelf" range Butterscotch Schnapps.
I used the correct/recommended "schnapps base" which is obviously a certain amount of glucose/dextrose to give the required viscosity and sweetness level. The instructions said to use 650mls of 40% spirit/vodka and as my measuring jug is only really accurate to the nearest 100 mls, I was probably closer to 700mls of spirit, then the flavouring and the schnapps base was mixed in with a hand blender and then the water was added to bring it up to the 1125 mls as per the instructions (again, I might have mixed a fraction more water because of the measuring jug I have). Then as I noticed that some of the schnapps base had settled out undissolved again, I just hit it with the hand blender to finish dissolving the schnapps base powder properly.
It's given me enough to fill a 750ml bottle and a 375ml bottle and a tiny taste.
The taste is quite a good butterscotch with plenty of sweetness provided by the schnapps base, with that slight alcohol after taste that you often get from flavoured schnapps liqueurs.
So I'd give it 7.5/10 and not bad at all
@ Deutscher, that bloody "half and half" stuff is something that I've seen used on US origin cooking progs, on the satelite channels, but it's not available here either. I suspect it's worth a google to see what it actually is, because it's probable that it can be mixed up from the locally available dairy product range......
{edit}it would seem that you will need a \"cup\" measure as it seems that half and half is a mix of cream and milk - a website I found suggested 1 cup of milk (full cream i.e. about 4% butter fat milk) and that\'s mixed with 1 tablespoon measure of unsalted melted butter. I suspect if I need to make anything that uses \"half and half\" I\'ll just do that and mix it in a blender/liquidiser to emulsify it enough........{/edit}