StillSmart

Well I must say this tastes fantastic and the aroma is spot on as well,I have a bottle of Highland Park and to my tastebuds its not a million miles away from that.Have wondered if this essence is a result of a competition that Still Spirits where running on their facebook page last year for whiskys that people had mixed using the profile kit,whatever the origin is "well done Still Spirits",if they look at this forum please can you come up with a Bourbon and Brandy essence this good.

Optic

I did try the SS single malt flavour too.
I thought it was strong tasting and wrong tasting. It has bits of oak/smoke?/vanilla but was a bit like alcoholic tea to me.
Let me explain...after many trials using tpw's and turbo washes (double distilled) through the airstill and then 'essenced' with such choices, I started doing DWWG washes with dried malt/smoked rye or corn, distilled and then soaked at 65%ABV on charred oak sticks, and finaly put into an oak barrel that'd been 'conditioned' using a bit of actual whiskey (Teachers, I think)
....anyway, no contest re whats more like actual whiskey IMHO.....
so I'm with AidanMac I suppose; essences are ok, sometimes moreso, but a flavour-profiled hearts matured on oak is going to ring more bells (if you like whisky/whiskey anyway).

I suppose at the end of the day it's all down to ones personal pallet, what taste good to one could well be awful to another.
Thats what makes this hobby fun we can afford to experiment for taste. I personally do not profess to be a connoisseur of whisky or I would buy the best I could afford from the experts.
Just my thoughts on taste.

Opus

I think its great and have been mixing it for a few months now. I pretty much exclusive on the 1 litre Classic flavouring sachets - much better than the Top Shelf ones in flavour and mouth feel.

Having used the whisky profile kit, I suspect the main increase in volume in the single malt is glycerine. The other flavours are so strong that the amount you use doesn't vary much - its the sweetness and viscosity from the glycerine that is the main variable in volume terms across different whisky types.

The Classic American Bourbon is a fav - nice, mellow and smooth. The Tennesee bourban is harsher and feels like you swilled your mouth out with acetone! But some say is clos to JD and prefer it.

I notice that my local HBS has put up the price of SS Classic flavorings to £2.35. All apart from the Single Malt which is now £2.99. I checked online for better deals and they've all done the same. Shame, I'm worried that at that price it may give a bitter taste!!!

Aye noticed wine works had jumped up try homebrewmegastore