Vinn Baijiu and a Whiskey Element

Vinn Baijiu neat is light, ricey and smooth.  Very similar to a malt white dog whiskey.  Not sure what Baijiu is? Click here for the Wikipedia link. In short, Vinn Baijiu is a clear, pot distilled spirit made from rice.  Let’s see what a Signature Whiskey Element can do.

At 12 hours the flavors soften, adding flavors of malted cereal

24 hours in we get light heat; faint toasted wood, and a hint of leather on the finish, it’s very smooth.

At 48 hours flavors turn a bit sour, with a new flavor of hazelnut and a continuing of the progression of leafy and malty flavors.

Our end at 72 hours the Baijiu is moderately woody with hints of leaf litter, great mouth feel and a light heat on the finish. 

Vinn Baijiu and a Whiskey Element

I am amazed at how similar to a young scotch the whiskey element made this Baijiu.  A fun and unique flavor.  Makes a great whiskey sour or can be sipped with a single ice cube or neat.

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J&B Scotch and a Signature Whiskey Element

There are two reasons why I wanted to buy and try and bottle of J&B Scotch with a whiskey element. Those two reasons being The Thing and The Omega Man, whose main characters both said whisky. Any whisky good enough for MacReady has to be good enough for me.

J&B is a light and smooth, smokey scotch. Not overly complex but pleasant and less metallic than Johnny Walker Red. Let’s see what the element will do!

12 hours in and the Scotch is smoother, and the smoke evens out.
24 hours later and the color is noticeably darker, lightly honey sweet.
48 hours, and we get a dried fruit sweetness, raisin, apricot, mossy and earthy.

J&B Scotch

72 hours and this modest priced Scotch is very smooth, fragrant and lightly sweet with mild smoke.

J&B is another case where 72 hours is the only way to go. I like the version at 72 hours so much; it’s going to become my easy every day drinking Scotch.

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Review: George Dickel Rye & A Signature Whiskey Element

At first, I was more than a little disappointed that this Rye was yet another repackaging of an MGP bulk whiskey product. However, I then realized this is the perfect use of a Whiskey Element.  Why?  Because this a mass produced middle of the road modestly priced Rye.  Let's see if the Element can make it better.

12 hours in the cinnamon spice gets a boost, as well as a syrup sweetness.

24 hours and we get a sooty, charcoal smoothness, with hints of burnt caramel.

George Dickel Rye & A Signature Whiskey Element

48 hours these flavors smooth out, with a light heat on the finish.

72 hours and we end up with a sweet and spicy whiskey with a leathery cigar box finish.

This is yet another great example of the power of the Whiskey Element. What started out as a simple rather uninteresting Rye has finished much more sophisticated and much more enjoyable. Makes for a great Manhattan or Sazerac.

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Review: Copper & Kings Citrus Absinthe Superior

Copper & Kings Citrus Absinthe Superior

My very good friends were out and about in Kentucky and stopped by Copper & Kings in Louisville, Kentucky.  Having been in the spirits business for many years their kind hearts bought and shipped me a bottle of their Citrus Absinthe Superior.  I have always had a great interest in the absinthe and Copper & Kings make 4 varieties.

Clear absinthe at 130 proof (65% abv), the base spirit for this absinthe is eaux-de-vie, otherwise known as unaged brandy.  At 130 proof the nose and flavor have aromas of grape and dried fruit sweetness, herbal anise, brightly citrus and lightly floral.  With sugar and water, this absinthe louches light and pale, bringing out flavors of sage, fennel and lemon.

The grape-based spirit lends a wonderful yet light sweetness to what can be an overpowering and harsh spirit.  The licorice flavor is sweeter and milder allowing many of the subtle fruit and citrus notes to shine.  A complex, smooth absinthe reminiscent of some of the French and Italian products I have tried in the past.
Excellent. A-The Liquorist Blog

Recipe: Fresh Mint Liqueur Recipe

Fresh Mint Liqueur

With today being St Patrick's today I thought I would post about something green, Fresh Mint Liqueur.  Creme de Menthe is probably not something you keep stocked in your bar, but I remember it fondly in my first sip of an alcoholic drink ever, the Grasshopper.  This lovely minty ice creamy concoction has never been forgotten, and every once in a while I buy a cheap bottle of Creme de Menthe, make big frosty glass and imagine myself in an impossibly hot Wisconsin summer day.

I have always found the mint flavor to be a bit lacking, too artificial chemical sweetness; thankfully I found a great recipe using real mint.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups fresh mint leaves, slightly packed
3 cups vodka
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp. glycerine (you can buy online or at any brew shop)

Wash leaves in cold water several times.  Shake or pat dry gently.  Snip each leaf in half or thirds; discard stems.  You may want to wear rubber gloves unless you want you hands to smell minty fresh.  Measure cut mint leaves, packing slightly.
Combine mint leaves and vodka in an aging container.  Cap and let stand in a cool place for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally.  After initial aging, pour mixture through colander into a large bowl to remove leaves; discard leaves.

In saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Let cool. Add cooled sugar syrup to mint liqueur base, stirring to combine.  Add glycerine, pour into aging container for a secondary aging of 1 to 3 more months.

Because we used fresh mint instead of peppermint oil, this liqueur is far superior in taste.  Milder, and much more delicate then the bottom shelf liqueurs I have purchased in the past.  This recipe comes out of one of my favorite books of all time Classic Liqueurs.

Of course, for St Patricks day you can always add some green food coloring, enjoy!

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Recipe: Pineapple Rum in the Magic Butter Machine

About ten years ago I started experimenting with spirit infusions.  Having just come back from my first trip to Belize, and having sampled many of the excellent local rums, I had rum on my mind.  I found out very quickly that infusing flavors from fruit are not simple.  You can add fruit to any spirit, let it sit for 30 days, and the alcohol will take plenty of flavor out of the fruit, but what is left does not have the full flavor of the fruit.  Many of the sugars and flavors remain trapped.

Enter the Magic Butter Machine.  Let's start with the recipe:

Ingredients:

    1-liter white rum (I used Below Deck Silver Rum)
    1/4 pineapple diced
    6 ounces organic pure blue agave nectar

How to:

    Peel the pineapple and dice into cubes.
    Place prepared ingredients into the Magic Butter Machine.
    Select the “Temperature” button and set it at 160ºF then press the “1 Hour/Oil” button.
    Allow the infusion to cool and carefully strain into a container.

Pineapple Rum Magic Butter Machine

You will notice right away how to bright, and colorful the rum is.  When strained, all that is leftover is the fiber from the pineapple, less than an ounce, everything else is worked into the rum.  All that juice and the added sugar make for a Pineapple Rum that tastes like you are drinking pineapple.  Full flavored, bright and sweet.  I drank it on the rocks, and in a Pina Colada, fantastic.

For some variations, I would try an aged rum, dark rum, and different sugars like cane sugar syrup, maple syrup or a touch of molasses.  Think grilled pineapple rum.  Yum!

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Recipe: Creme De Prunelle Liqueur

Another recipe comes out of one of my favorite books of all time Classic Liqueurs; inspired by a French Liqueur made from wild plums.

1 1/2 lbs dried pitted prunes, cut into halves
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups vodka (I used Monopolova)
1 1/2 cups brandy (I used Paul Masson)

Place cut prunes in an aging container.  Add, sugar, vodka and brandy; stirring well to combine.  Cap and place in a cool place for one month.  Stir weekly to dissolve sugar.

Creme De Prunelle

After initial aging, pour liquid through a wire strainer placed over a large mixing bowl.  Press liqueur juices from prunes with the back of a wooden spoon.  Remove prunes from the liqueur.  Prunes may be saved for cooking, or I ate them on ice cream.  Re-strain using a coffee filter or cheesecloth.  Bottle and let age for two more months for the flavors to meld.


I know what you are thinking, why prune liqueur?  Well, sometimes you just try and see what happens.  Not only was I pleasantly surprised, frankly, but I was also amazed at how tasty the prune and brandy flavors are.  Sweet and yet savory this liqueur would certainly cook well with pork and other meats.

Great Cocktail:

Angel's Wing
1/2 oz Creme de Cacao
1/2 oz Creme de Prunelle

Pour gently in order so the liqueurs do not mix.  Pour a little sweet cream on top.


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Review: Pendleton Canadian Whiskey with Time & Oak

Pendleton is an above average Canadian Whisky, very smooth and lightly sweet, unlike many that are very sweet. Pendleton’s aged longer than most in it’s price range, which is why it is more complex and less sweet.

The whisky is very toasted oak forward, malty sweet, roasted pecan and lightly tannic with the slight heat on the finish at 36 hours.

Two days in the signature whiskey element oakiness smooths out, with an added cinnamon heat and black liquorice flavors.

Pendleton Canadian Whiskey with Time & Oak

Finally at three days, the element flavors are oak funky, almost peaty, burnt caramel sweet with a smooth smokey finish.

This did not have the dramatic effect as we experienced with Crown Royal, but this is a higher quality whisky to start with.  If you are a scotch fan, this is a definite try.

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