Still Spirits whisky profiles, what they do and the law
Where the law sits, before anything else
Owning a still is lawful in Australia and we sell them, so there's nothing awkward about that part, but actually distilling spirits at home needs an excise manufacturer licence from the ATO and a lot of people genuinely don't know that. Flavouring a base spirit you've bought is a different activity altogether and it doesn't need a licence at all, so where you sit depends entirely on which of those two things you're doing. I've set the whole thing out in Making spirits at home, the five steps and where the law sits, and it's worth 5 minutes before you spend any money.
What a profile essence is
A profile is a concentrated flavouring made for spirit work, and the idea is that instead of buying one essence that gives you a finished style in a single hit, you get separate components you can add in small amounts and steer. Still Spirits do them as whisky profiles A, B, C and D, plus a cedar oak profile and a fruity esters one, and the point of splitting them up is that you can push the oak without touching the sweetness, or lift the fruit without making the whole thing taste like something else.
That's genuinely useful if you've got a base spirit that's close but not right, because the alternative is starting again and hoping the next batch lands better.
How you'd actually use them
You start from a neutral base, whether that's something you've made under licence or a purchased spirit you're flavouring, and you add your main essence first so you've got a recognisable style to work from. Then the profiles go in a few drops at a time, and you taste between every addition rather than at the end.
Keep a written note of what went in. It sounds like overkill on the first batch and then it's the only reason you can ever repeat the good one, which is the bit everybody works out the hard way.
Small additions are the whole trick here, because you can always add more and you can never take any out, and a profile that's gone too far turns a drinkable spirit into one you'll be quietly using for marinades.
What it won't fix
A profile essence steers flavour, so it can't rescue a base spirit that's harsh or badly made, and it won't cover a fault that came out of poor fermentation or a rushed cut. If the starting spirit tastes wrong then the honest answer is to fix that first, because everything you add afterwards is sitting on top of it.
Shop related products
- Still Spirits Premium Classic Northern Whisky Essence. A finished style to build from.
- Still Spirits Premium Classic Finest Reserve Whisky Essence. Another base style worth trying.
- Still Spirits Select Classic Whiskey Essence. A straightforward starting point.
- Still Spirits Smokey Whiskey 50ml. For when you're chasing the smoke rather than the oak.
There's more in our Still Spirits collection.
Did you know we also stock the Whisky Profile Kit and the individual whisky profiles in the shop, and neither of those is on the website. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.
Brewhilder can help you narrow it down, or come in and chat with us.
Read next
- How to flavour a spirit at home with essences
- What you need to make spirits at home, gear and licence
- Home distilling myths, and where the law actually sits
I'm the sort of person who adds one drop too many and then spends the rest of the evening trying to talk myself into liking it.
Candeece
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