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New Product: Liquid Oak Comparo

A new product has just been developed by one of our suppliers. It is a distillation of oak essence with different extraction methods that capture different phases and flavours of the oak products.
At the moment there are 4 different essences;

Later Edit;

I found the included information from the manufacturer.

All liquid oak samples are french oak derivatives. US oak products will be released in time. Bear in mind these notes are aimed at winemakers as this is the first time this product has been released to the distillation market and no information has yet been assembled. You guys will be the benchmark.

Impact, Accentuates the fruit. Soft, juicy, full palate. Silky smooth, well balanced and seamless. Long length.

Fullness,Creates structure. Accentuates the fruit. Integrates very well, nice to fill out the wine. No oaky, dusty characters. Best for whites.

Vannillan, Very strong with a soft round mouthfeel. Adds texture and vanilla at the back palate without vanilla heat. Very concentrated.

Chocolate, Very strong mocha, stronger wood and nutty characters. Creates full body and roundness with stronger aftertaste. Clean, fresh tighter oak character. Rich spices, sweet, peppery. Very pleasant.

suggested blend to start, Impact 80%/Vanilla 20% as a well balanced blend

Further notes As with all our liquid oak the ratio is so small that it is not a substitute for traditional oak. It is more for structural development and flavour in the wine.

You can blend the products as above or in any other combination. The product dilutes easily and filtration is not required. Add product 3 weeks before bottling, best results will be after 2 weeks. The effect of the product keeps improving the wine over time.

These liquid oaks are used at a base rate of up to 2-2.5ml/litre in red wines except for the vanilla which is 1.5-2ml/litre and can be blended and added in various quantities to develop a particular profile that may be desired. We think that some or all of them could carry well into distillations and we think that you guys and gals are the best people to be able to tell us how and what.

In the spirit of the Domino Comparo I'd like to ship some sample packs to some of our customers in Australia without cost. In return i'd like a commitment to experiment, record and document the different mixes, some blending and tasting notes, pictures ect. Sample packs are 4 x 50ml approximately so there should be plenty left after the experiments for your own use to treat up to 100l of spirit.

Ideally you'd do blind or careful tastings at 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks and do litre batches of the 4 different ones straight and then do some blending of the finished spirit to come up with some formula for a follow up sample with a blend of the best flavours for maybe rum and whiskey or bourbon. Photos will be appreciated.

I have two packs to give away at the moment to someone who puts their hand up and one pack i am holding for someone.

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StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

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Comments

  • Hi Punkin. interesting stuff. I'd be keen to try, but I don't have anything in a fermenter ready to go and am not sure when I'll get the chance to do another bourbon mash or put down a rum wash. So I'll pass at this time.

    I still haven't sorted out a decent way to separate the grain, so keep putting it off. Two options keep coming back to me, straining through different grade sieves like Utah diesel make or sparging like a beer wort.

    Interested to see how these go.

  • edited September 2015

    Yep, l will have the time over the next few months and l'm equipped with jars, plenty of whiskey wash and some stripped ready to run.

    Perhaps even test with some neutral?

    Mind you lately l have been working 6 or 7 days and all hobbies got the arse including shed work and left the zx12r sitting in there as well.

    I will do an order online shortly so we could combine with that if it suits. Was going to order oak dominoes but perhaps l should hold back on the quantity in case the liquid is a good product to use either on its own or in combination with the dominoes.

    Fadge

  • I will be watching this thread with interest.

  • how much will a sample pack cost I'm happy to just buy a set to satisfy my own fucking around and such

  • I have a 200L rum wash ready to run, would love to take this on but work is crazy.

  • edited September 2015

    No worries Fadge thank you i'll get one off when i see the order.
    @Johnboy i only have a couple sample packs left atm, if they prove worth stocking they will be available. The costs are not sorted completely yet, but they will be comparable to the domino's and very reasonable.

    I found some more notes from the manufacturer and have edited the top post to reflect the information.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Pretty surpised that it seems difficult to give away an exicting new product for free.
    I still have two sets of these, enough to treat hundreds of litres and i wouldn't have thought the conditions of some documented trials would be so offputing. :))

    Let me know anyone who wants to put their hand up. Unfortunately i can't ship OS at this stage.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • If I wasn't so new to the hobby my hand would be up... Unfortunately I am running on a Keggomax still at the moment so nothing worthy of liquid oak. Looking forward to my power controller, 510mm extension and dominoes turning up though :)

  • @punkin, would love to help, but just don't know when I will have product available to run a trial

  • Shipped yesterday Higgo.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Awesome mate thanks! Shame it's a long weekend but will hopefully be here on Tuesday.

  • edited October 2015

    I'll buy one, that way I won't feel guilty about non comprehensive reporting

  • I have gallons of rum at my disposal. Don't take the lack of takers as a lack of interest; A lot of us fall way outside of your shipping distance.

  • No worries mate. Another customer rang me last night and will be doing a trial for me. One pack left.

    These are for the repoting @Johnboy . If i stock them they'll be a good price and you'll be first up.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • I'd be game but I'm outside your siding sting shipping distance, can't believe more people haven't jumped at the chance

  • edited October 2015

    All taken now, we have our three testers.

    Looking forward to the results, i have high expectations of the product and it's good that results from it are so quick.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • I'm curious too I like the idea of adding the liquid rather than oak sticks. Less time getting the flavour through, and no filtering out debris from the oak sticks. Can't wait to here more. Punkin I PM'd you on homedistiller a while back, I guess you don't be over there much anymore?

  • I recon I might be a good one for the U.S. guys. Zap the shite out your white dog then dose it up with oak.
    Finished 5 yo on the same day you ran it?

  • Nah, they banned me back in 08 or 09. Just couldn't conform. :))

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • @punkin said: Nah, they banned me back in 08 or 09. Just couldn't conform. :))

    If conformity is a requirement, why haven't you been banned here?

    Oh, I think I already know. :)

  • This is the nonconformist forum, by far...

  • @grim said: This is the nonconformist forum, by far...

    Then we should all fit in.

  • The original non conformist forum was Artisan Distiller. Pint and me and a bunch of others were all banned from homedistiller by tater around the same time and Pint started Artisan for us misfits. It very quickly became the best forum on the net and all the cutting edge stuff was there until this forum came along and combined the pros and the hobby people together.

    This is by far the cutting edge nowadays in forums as we have that unique mix.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Well said @punkin. After lurking on many sites forever, this forum is where the unique mix of all of us are.

  • As a fellow trial user, don't forget to grab a few pipettes or small accurate eye droppers for this experiment. I just ordered a few today at the last minute, eBay with a Sydney seller so should be delivered late this week or early next week.

    Looking forward for this and all the future new and innovative products being discussed and developed.

    Thumbs up to SD and all the members here.

    Fadge

  • I'd suggest syringes from the chemist. Cheap as chips, tell em your a junkie and they'll give to you free :))

    But seriously just ask for 10 x 2ml syringes without points. be less than $5

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Working full time plus a second part time job is leaving the distilling a little neglected, hard to get a decent run done, stripping is quick and easy, need at least 6 hrs for spirit runs.....

    Finally had the chance to do a full whiskey run, so air for a day or two, check cuts and we should be ready to start with liquid oak comparo.

    fadge

  • Good stuff mate, looking forward to some news on the product.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Spirit run this week then will start the testing next week also. I have experimented adding liquid to 10 month dominie oaked AG and can not see a significant difference. Maybe a smoother mouth feel but not enough taste change that I am able to detect at this early stage.

  • edited November 2015

    Finally started on the liquid oak comparo.

    I used a recent Whiskey run that I had from testing the new SD electric parrot.

    Diluted down to 40% just for the ease of doing tasting tests, as I was unsure of the recommended % to use for the liquid?

    Normally I would oak at 65% or so, then dilute when ready to add to my storage keg or bottles.

    4 jars with 1lt and a tad over 2ml of liquid oak added, except for Vanilla that was 1.5ml as recommended.
    I also added a 5th jar with one French domino to use as a base test jar.

    Liquid Oak

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    Fresh Whiskey @ 40%

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    Liquid Oak added

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    Mixed and rested for 10 mins and ready to age.
    First thing that is apparent is the lack of color initially, the jars all just take on a "dirty water" look, the chocolate more dirty looking that the others. If this is the final color then perhaps some distillers caramel may be needed later.

    image

    So I will check them and perhaps taste at 7 days and report back.

    fadge

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