Ageing bourbon and whiskey at 40%

by **Thumpa** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:27 am

Hey guys I'm only new at this and wanted to ask a couple of questions :think:
1. Can I and what would ageing my whiskey & bourbon do to the flavour and spirit at 40% ?
2. I have American oak and French oak staves and just wondering what other types of woods I can use to flavour and age with.?
Thank you guys very much in advance for your time and knowledge I greatly appreciate it. Hopefully soon I will no enough and experience enough that I will be able to return some helpful hints myself one day. But until then still on glass up . :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **Urrazeb** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:54 am

I found a great thread a while ago, someone had done a full aging experiment and it was very informative.. but I can't locate it.

Anyway, I personnaly step the aging process at 75% > 65% > 40%

Still playing around with times on this but it's pretty much, 1 week at 70%, 1-3 months at 65% and the rest at 40%

By the rest i mean as long as it stays in the cabinet :drool:

40% is ok but it may take longer to draw out flavours and it wont actually pick up some of the flavours 65% will

by **Brendan** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:45 am

I think the main point to note is that ageing at different abv% isn't just relative to time.

Different abv% has proven to extract completely different flavours from the oak. Those flavours which are usually desired in a whiskey/whisky are obtained between 60-70%, with Bourbon pretty much always being aged at 62.5% (it can't be aged any higher to be Bourbon), and Scotch usually at around the 65% mark...

Personally, I wouldn't recommend ageing at 40% at all, but hey you might like it.

by **bt1** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:05 pm

There's a real handy chart around the library somewhere just can't find it that graphs what's available for what timbers at differing strengths...a good read at least.

Personally start at 70% for a short period month or so, then to 65% abv. Hold here for a few months to pick up vanillin's etc I like. It gradually drops to around 62% ...all good.

I've found ageing at 40% to be a dead taste and avoid it.

As for other timbers, American cherry, local cherry are two good ones, plum but no sap in timber and oddly mangrove which I'm experimenting with ...unique not everyone's cup of tea for sure.

I've a blackwood, 2 x maples and an apple under test showing great promise but too early to call it.

Timber drowned in Port and Sherry (separately, med toast American) for a good year or so also make damn nice timbers to age with and create sub batches

bt1

by **Urrazeb** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:08 pm

bt1 wrote:There's a real handy chart around the library somewhere just can't find it that graphs what's available for what timbers at differing strengths...a good read at least.

bt1

I think that's the article I saw.. was very in depth on flavour profiles leached from differnt ABV.. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **Thumpa** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:25 pm

Thanks fellas awesome repleys has told me everything I needed to no this site is awesome ^:)^

by **bt1** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:01 pm

Dam Thumpa,

And I thought you might express creativity and take the leap and ask about long term drowned timbers... those little Port and Sherry flavours mixing and getting familiar with your well make spirit...

I'll go and skull now
bt1

by **bt1** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:16 pm

err edit from the dyslectic dude...(me)

that's Sulk not skull... reasonably close...

Geez where those special specs I bought....
bt1

by **Thumpa** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:37 pm

Ha ha good onya bt1. So mate you have had me thinking about a few things while I been brewing me old barley whiskey. Mangrove wood? What like the stuff muddies hide in? :laughing-rolling: so what flavours are u getting? Any good?. Iv also just bought 1.5kg of American oak and medium toasted French oak and definitely intrested in putting a small batch away to try. So how long do ya soak it for and do ya have to change the port/sherry. Mate I can't stop thinking bout the mangrove wood I love me muddies so I have to give this ago :)) so how did you prep/treat the wood and are u using it any particular spirit. Combinations are endless.

by **bt1** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:12 am

well now that you ask :D

Non sap mangrove trunk yep the stuff crabs live in, dried piece like well dead, normal prep so 10cm long 2cm wide 1cm thick, no bark bits, medium toast. Suggest a sub batch of spirit 500ml say, and try it yourself cos it's very dry, not pungent but not soft either. It's faster than oak so try it at week 2 and then regularly after that.

On the Port and sherry strips use American oak just thinner to allow more penetration...say 6mm. A dry sherry to start with allow 2 months and throw it cos it gets real woody... = "wood soup"
Then in with another lot of sherry...I used a cream sherry to add some sweetness. Pack a jar full so none float around and just leave. Good to go after 3 months best when completely saturated... just add to a sub batch of spirit and blend that batch with your main spirit run.

same goes for port a cheap starter throw after 2 months then re fill with a better one you like.

The port goes extremely well blended into UJSM, bourbon styles. I use the sherry ones on the Irish as it's lighter and fairly dry...assists the style well.

The sherry sticks suit all but don't add much to a bolder UJSM. If your doing a lighter lower colour barley style I'd give the sherry a go in a sub batch for sure.

enjoy!
bt1

by **Thumpa** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:58 am

Thanks heaps Mate love the mangrove idea goin to try it with an Irish whisky to se how it goes. And the sherry port soakers sound spot on thanks for the help mate will definitely try all and let ya no the results. ^:)^

by **P3T3rPan** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:14 pm

Keen to try the sherry too. Is the thin oak toasted , raw or charred ?

by **Brendan** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:29 pm

I've currently got Olorosso Sherry soaking in my 25L French oak barrel, waiting for my Scotch to go in there for a couple of years...keen to taste the end results!! :drool:

by **Thumpa** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:24 pm

I stand to be corrected mate but I'm pretty sure from bt1's description the way I took it anyway is that it wouldn't matter if it's charred toasted or raw, that would be a personal taste preference eg. medium or dark toast but the soaking of the chips that would add the flavour and be the important part. Could be wrong, im only new to this p3t3rpan but that's how I interupeted it. Happy brewing. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **P3T3rPan** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 4:23 am

Ta Thumpa. I have several different oak trials on the go with a range of results. Looks like the mother on laws sherry is going to take a hit

by **bt1** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:05 am

Howdy,

yeh reckon toasting levels is about matching the colour and taste you want. A good alligator heavy char suiting darker more robust UJSM's say and for an Irish more subdued lighter flavours and colour with a light toast. Doesn't have to be this way it's everyone's call..

The thinner (say 6mm) strips are done as 2 separate lots one is a heavy char and the other one I use most is a medium toast.

enjoy!
bt1

by **P3T3rPan** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:44 am

Great bt1. As I thought.