StillSmart

Hi all well I bit the bullet and forked out for a whisky profile kit. I have never really been in to any of the flavourings as they all turned out to sweet for me so with that in mind what do you think that the optimum amount of glycerine should be added as it looks way to much in the recipes. From the posts I guess about 4 ml per 700ml bottle or is this too much in some cases?

bluecap i dont bother with the glycerine at all now it spoils the whisky IMO,also now i leave out the oak cask in any recipe as i give the finished whisky a soak in the still spirits bourbon oak chips this really mellows the whisky,also i leave out the distillers caramel as the whisky takes on a natural golden hue from the oak chips,i have just ordered a load of oak chips from wineworks planning to make up a 5 ltr batch of my \"glenoptic\" with a bag of oak chips in a DJ and hide it away in the back of the pantry for a few months

Thanks optic i think thats what i wanted to hear.

I mixed up the bourbon recipe from the profile kit minus the glycerin and distillers caramel three months ago and i left this to soak on 20grms JD oak chips in a kilner jar,i bottled it last night it looks the right colour and i tried a teaspoon of it and it tastes remarkable good.

Optic

Optic what your showing is that when it comes to any of the whisky essences you don\'t need glycerine and probably not the caramel. Problem is most of the standard essences always have these two ingredients so the profile kit comes into it\'s own there as a very usefull product. another to consider if you can find it is the \"Essencia Bourbon Chunks\" I mentioned in another thread. Mine have been in for 6 days of the recomended 14 and already tastes like bourbon without any sweetness. I think they may be on a winner with this one. Not sure if the normal oak chips would work in the same way?
Opus 27

Opus 27

it seems to me that although the standard essences contain these ingredients they must only be in very small ammounts,personally i prefer the alcohol heat in a whisky,yes that is the beauty of the kit giving us a chance to experiment with little tweaks,the essencia bourbon chunks sound good where did you get them from?,i have all three types of the still spirits chips,i can certainly notice a different flavour to a whisky depending on which type i have used,thats just given me a thought about trying a mix of say 10grms of each in the next soak.

Optic

Hi again Optic,

I got my Bourbon Chunks from my local HB shop in Cheltenham but there being imported in by Ritchie\'s if that\'s the right spelling. There also bringing in Essencia Essences but I have yet to try them. As I said in the other thread they claim that these lumps of bourbon barrel don\'t require any further flavouring which to me makes them quite economic if they work.
Opus

Opus 27

Thanks for the info they stock Ritchie products in my HB shop,will enquire next time i go,when you say chunks what sort of size are they as the Still Spirits ones are mainly quite small,infact some of the packet is almost like dust.

I have tried soaking straight unflavoured spirit 50grms to 1 ltr with the SS chips and yes it took on the bourbon taste but wasnt quite strong enough in flavour,should imagine that if the whole 100grm packet (£3.56) was used its flavour would be more pronounced.
Optic

Hi again Optic,

There basicly cubes about 25mm square. 100 grms in a packet and supposedly does 2 Litres. I think I paid somewhere between £3.20 and £3.50. I don\'t know about you but I usually put my stuff in Demi Johns but you won\'t get these chunks in the neck so I\'ve picked up a 2.1 Litre Kilner Jar and it\'s perfect, that was £2.49 in the Range.
Opus

Opus 27

Yes i do use Kilner jars,I dont know if you have a Poundland store near to you but I see they have got Kilner type jars,also the cheapest place I have found for sugar 1.5KG for a £1.

Optic

I\'m a big whisky fan and am interested in the profile kit. Seems a bit pricey, how many bottles will it do? And do you get something to measure the minute amounts?

Hi Hoppinmad

I\'ve just had a look at my essence box and the Profile Kit consists of 14 bottles of essences (the normal SS size) a syrynge and a pippet for measuring. there is a recipe book included that gives suggested equivelents to proprietery brands but you need to experiment. Most people reduce or leave out the suggested Glycerine ingredient. All the individual essences are obtainable seperately for replacement.

Opus 27

Thanks, Sounds good value, I might treat myself

Just tried making up a blend of my own with the profile kit,I tried a teaspoon full of it and tastes ok IMO its now gone in a Kilner jar with 20grms of Tennessee bourbon oak chips for a soak.

For 750mls

profile C 6mls

profile B 3mls

astringent notes 2mls

cereal notes 1.5mls

fruity esters 1mls

sweet vanillin 0.5mls

Optic, can you use the oak chips more than once? I\'ve never used any but am thinking of doing so, didn\'t rate the ss smokey whisky flavouring