Why your home made spirit tastes harsh, and what takes the edge off
Why a young spirit tastes hot, and what actually takes the edge off
A spirit that has just come off a run, or one you've just mixed up from a bought neutral, will often taste hot and a bit raw, and nearly everybody reads that as a fault in what they have done. Most of the time it isn't a fault at all. It's strength and time doing exactly what strength and time do, because nothing in a young spirit has had the chance to settle yet, so the alcohol is the loudest thing in the glass and every other flavour is standing behind it waiting to be heard.
Check the strength first, because that's most of it
The first thing to look at isn't flavour, it's what strength you're actually drinking the thing at. Most spirit flavourings are built around 2.25 litres of neutral at roughly 40%, and if you've mixed yours stronger than that then you're going to taste alcohol before you taste anything else, every single time. Water it back with clean water, then leave it a day before you taste it again and decide whether there's anything wrong with the recipe.
Then give it time, because that's most of the rest
A freshly mixed spirit tastes different at 24 hours than it does at 10 minutes, and different again at a week, so the single cheapest improvement available to you costs nothing and just involves leaving it alone. I know that isn't a satisfying answer when you've just made something and you want to know if it worked, but tasting a spirit the moment you've mixed it is a bit like tasting a stew the second the lid goes on.
Where the law actually sits
Worth saying plainly, because it gets muddled constantly. Owning a still is legal in Australia and we're allowed to sell you one. Distilling spirits at home is the part that needs an excise manufacturer licence from the ATO. That's a real licence with real conditions attached, not a formality anybody gets to skip. Flavouring a base spirit you have bought is a different activity altogether and needs no licence at all, so that's the road most people end up taking.
A clean base does more than a clever flavouring
If the base spirit itself is carrying something, no essence is going to hide it, and a lot of what people call harshness is really the base showing through. Running it through carbon is the usual answer there, and Still Spirits Universal Z Carbon is what most people around here use for it. Do that step before you flavour, never after, because carbon will happily strip the flavour you just paid for.
The finishing note goes last, and it goes in small
Once the strength is right and it has had a rest, a small vanilla note is what most people reach for to round off the finish, and Still Spirits Sweet Vanillin is the one built for that job. It isn't a rescue and it won't cover anything up. Add a little, stir it, leave it overnight, taste it, and only then decide whether it wants any more, because you can always add a second dose and you can never take one out.
What none of this will fix
Being honest about the limits, because I would rather you knew before you spent the money. A wash that fermented too warm, or gear that went in dirty, will still be there at the end no matter what you add to the bottle. Flavouring is the last small step of the job and it only ever works on something that was already close.
Shop related products
- Still Spirits Sweet Vanillin 50ml. A soft vanilla note for rounding off a finish that's nearly there.
- Still Spirits Universal Z Carbon. For cleaning up a base spirit before you flavour it.
- Still Spirits Mellow Oak 50ml. The sweeter end of the oak range when you want warmth rather than dryness.
- Still Spirits Top Shelf Whiskey Essence 50ml. A straightforward whiskey profile to build on.
Did you know we also keep glycerine, the two scale hydrometer with its test jar, a standard glass thermometer and Turbo Clear in the shop. Not all of it is on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what's on the shelf.
The rest of the range is in our homebrew collection.
Our homebrew adviser Brewhilder will talk you through your own setup if you would rather work it out that way.
Read next
- Still Spirits whisky profiles, what they do and the law
- Still Spirits Cedar Oak Profile, what it does
- Still Spirits Fruity Esters Profile, what it does
Patience is genuinely the part I'm worst at, so when I tell you to leave it a week, take it as advice from somebody who needs it herself.
Cheers,
Candeece
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