Tasting descriptions

[ThePaterPiper]

Lads and Lassies,

We need some help with deciding on what we are experiencing when tasting our spirits.

We had a wee taste of our 100% peated AG last night and among the awesome smack in the face of peaty goodness, we noted a strong tingling on the tongue and gums. What would that most likely be?

We get none of that from our 2 gens of NGW, in fact it is as smooth as another’s milk.

Not saying that it is an unpleasant sensation by any account, just curious as to what we are trying to describe.

[bluc]

Heads I would say. I find is bitey on the tounge..

[ThePaterPiper]

Ok, could well be. We thought the heads were very short but those smells may have been overpowered by the peate. Will oaking and airing soften that over time? Or will blending be the better bet? Don’t want a bottle full of headaches!

[bluc]

Airing will work to a point depends how much is in there to how well it cleans up and how long it takes. You should be able to pick if its head by a acetone after taste.Give it plenty time uncovered. I would say put it back through with next lot of peated whiskey but have heard oaked spirit does not taste good at all lots off tastes if re distilled..

[hillzabilly]

Have a snoop in the library section viewtopic.php?f=47&t=8119 some good info on whiskey and oaking may help ya . cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[Sam.]

Could be tannins from the oak or could be a bit higher ABV.

Whatever it is, if it doesn't taste bad then I wouldn't be too concerned.

[ThePaterPiper]

No acetone taste, in fact tastes really nice. Just a tingling. It is only 14 days on oak, so we probably shouldn’t have even been sampling it, but who can wait right???

[ThePaterPiper]

Could be tannins from the oak or could be a bit higher ABV.

Whatever it is, if it doesn't taste bad then I wouldn't be too concerned.

It has a stick of toasted and a stick of toasted and charred in it, if we were to remove one, would you take the toasted or charred? Don’t want to over oak either. So much to think about.

Have a snoop in the library section viewtopic.php?f=47&t=8119 some good info on whiskey and oaking may help ya . cheers hillzabilly ;-)

Will have a look Hillzabilly. Thanks :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Dyno]

No acetone taste, in fact tastes really nice. Just a tingling. It is only 14 days on oak, so we probably shouldn’t have even been sampling it, but who can wait right???

lol...its hard not too when all that effort has gone into it. If its heads, a good while on oak will clean it up. We barreled a really tailsy brew 12 months back and its come up supreme now. Tasted like shit to start with. We made the junior error of drinking all day while stilling and got way too greedy. Glad we did now as it has a very different character from its predecessor. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Sam.]

Are you sampling at cask strength or are you taking it down to 40%?

If your oaking ratios are ok I wouldn't remove any oak.

[ThePaterPiper]

Are you sampling at cask strength or are you taking it down to 40%?

If your oaking ratios are ok I wouldn't remove any oak.

Well, we watered down, but hard to say actual %. Not quite half and half. It could have been a bit up on abv. Might invest in a refractometer, if that’s the right terminology. We don’t thieve enough to fill the sample jar for the alcoholometer.

Thanks Dyno, if it is heads, it is because of the peate overpowering them. We left the jars to air for three days to give as good a chance to settle as we could. We weren’t worried about being greedy because we are putting the fients in with some wash into the thumper for the next run.

[Sparrow]

It could be as simple as unaged whisky at too high an abv for the palate!

Most 40-45% whisky's go down like cordial these days for me, though years ago a 50/50 whisky coke would make me gag. forgot that with my mother in law last weekend and nearly knocked her head off with some straight CFW we'd thrown some apples in for a while haha I thought it was smooth :shifty:

[ThePaterPiper]

Could be too Sparrow. I guess time and practice will tell ;-) The interesting part was the sensation. Maybe our idea of the ABV is way off. I haven't felt that tingling on my tongue and gums before. Neither have I had very young home distilled single malt mashed in an esky before! :laughing-rolling:

[orcy]

Refractometer wont help with abv. Useful for sugar only.

I find learning flavours really hard. Need to take a bunch of tasting courses to learn all the different flavours.

[scythe]

I would say its heads as i get this sensation when drinking commercial spirits, i quite enjoy it tho.
Or it could just be me, i get it with port as well.

[Stonemaker1]

It could be as simple as unaged whisky at too high an abv for the palate!

Most 40-45% whisky's go down like cordial these days for me, though years ago a 50/50 whisky coke would make me gag. forgot that with my mother in law last weekend and nearly knocked her head off with some straight CFW we'd thrown some apples in for a while haha I thought it was smooth :shifty:

:laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: I got a mother in law like that......

[ThePaterPiper]

Refractometer wont help with abv. Useful for sugar only.

I find learning flavours really hard. Need to take a bunch of tasting courses to learn all the different flavours.

Ok. Thank you. Sounds like a good excuse to get out and drink more whisky :D

[ThePaterPiper]

I would say its heads as i get this sensation when drinking commercial spirits, i quite enjoy it tho.
Or it could just be me, i get it with port as well.

Interesting you get it with port as well. I had a look at the vids Hillzabilly mentioned. That chap is well into his whisky. “If I ever see you hold your glass like this, I’ll kill you!!” :laughing-rolling:

Also found some interesting stuff on the web. Apparently the alcohol tricks the mucous membranes into thinking the liquid is very hot, so what we are experiencing is our brains warning is not to drink it. Stupid brain!! :angry-banghead: :))

[crow]

T'is heid in ya cratur f'sure.

[ThePaterPiper]

Thenk ye uncoly, crow. Looks like ma haed’l be hurtin’ a wee bit from this dram