Results from DIY Spirit Aroma Kit
It worked!
Some time ago I looked at using an aroma kit to help improve my ability to pick out and identify aromas in the spirits that I drink. You can buy an aroma kit but those tend to start around $150 and go up to $450, which is a bit steep for me. And, given the fact that some of the customer reviews are less than stellar, I decided to try and make my own kit. I ended up making 13 bottles with common gin botanicals all for less than $30!
After letting the botanicals to macerate for a month of so, the aromas were still clear but I did notice one issue. While I only filled the bottles 2/3 with botanicals, some of the more fibrous botanical like cardamon, anise seeds, and licorice root absorbed a lot of the vodka and swelled to completely fill the bottle where as more woody botanicals like cinnamon and star anise stayed the same size. So if you make your own aroma kit, make note of which botanicals might be more absorbent than others.
Besides this absorbency issue, the aroma samples worked well. From time to time I would sit down with the bottles, unscrew the lid, and smell the aroma moving the opening back and forth between each nostril.
Being able to pick out and describe aromas in spirits has a lot to do with memory. Our eyes or ears take in information from specific wave lengths of light or sound and those are interpreted by our brains as colors and pitch. But with smell, little particles of the things we eat, drink, or inhale, touch receptors that extend from the olfactory bulb in our brain and we interpret that information based on our memory. It is believed that this link between smell and memory helps humans to avoid eating spoiled food or drinking contaminated water. And, this smell memory may have helped our hunter-gatherer ancestors to remember high calorie foods like fruits that are higher in natural sugar and vitamins.
In my experience, interpreting aromas exists on three levels.
Is the aroma good or bad?
Is the aroma familiar or unfamiliar?
Can I describe or name the aroma with a word or words?
I believe using my kit did help me move some of the aromas from the second level of, is it familiar to the third level of, it is familiar and I my brain remembers the name of that smell. If you are interested in improving your smell memory, making and occasionally using a spirits aroma kit will help.
How to Make Kummel at Home
Kummel, also spelled Kümmel, is a botanical liqueur flavored primarily by distilling caraway and then sweetened. But, as it turns out, you do not need a still to make a fairly simple and delicious version of kummel at home.
Back in March when states began issuing stay at home orders I decided it was time to start making some liqueurs. I started simple with limoncello and pompelmocello (grapefruit), but I decided I wanted to try something a little more of a challenging. That’s when kummel came to mind.
Since I don’t have a still, I started looking for kummel recipes online that use maceration (soaking botanicals in alcohol) instead. While Google came trough and gave me some results, none of the online recipes were exactly what I was looking for. However, I came across a note about an old French distillers recipe book that included kummel. There was no mention of a title or author so it took awhile to locate but eventually I found the source: Culture de la Vigne: Traitement Pratique des Vins: Vinification - Distillation by Raimond Boireau (1876). The book includes five recipes for kummel (pp 451-453): One with just caraway, one with caraway essence, and three that use caraway with a small amount of other spices. Based on these recipes I decided to make one bottle (750ml) of about 40% ABV kummel that was 30 parts caraway, 2 parts coriander and 1 part fennel.
Recipe for EZ Homemade Kummel
Ingredients
310 ml liters of 190 Proof Everclear (95% ABV) = 252.96 g
25 g caraway
1.69 g coriander
0.85 g fennel
500 ml water
500 ml sugar
If you live in an area where 190 Everclear is not available you can also use 400 ml of 151 Everclear (75.5% ABV), or 600 ml of 100 proof vodka (50% ABV) with the same amount of spices. The maceration won’t be as intense and you will not need as much simple syrup to bring it down to proof.
Directions
Place a small glass container (a pint size mason jar will work) on your kitchen scale and weight out 252.96 grams of Everclear and put aside.
Place a small bowl on your kitchen scale and weigh out 25 grams of caraway. Dump the caraway into the alcohol and repeat with the coriander and fennel.
Once the spices and alcohol are in the same container, seal it up, give it a shake and let sit for 3 days out of direct sunlight. The alcohol will extract flavors and some color out of the spices, and if you want to give it a shake once a day, go for it.
Combine the sugar and water into a small pot and stir on medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved into the water. Let cool, pour the syrup into an empty wine/liquor bottle and place it in the refrigerator until needed. This will make more than you need for the kummel but you can save the leftover simple syrup for making cocktails.
After 3 day filter the spices from the alcohol and pour the infused spirit into a clean 750 ml bottle that has a cap or closure. You can filter the spices with a simple mesh strainer or a coffee filter. Since I have a V60 for making coffee at home I use that. If you use a paper or cloth filter, remember to wet it before hand, or the filter will soak up you alcohol.
Fill the bottle of infused spirit with about 440 ml of your premade simple syrup, close the bottle and let rest for 1 day in your refrigerator.
Results
Initially the kummel has lots of flavor from the spices, it is very sweet and has some sharpness from the alcohol. However, the longer the kummel sits the more that alcohol smooths out. If you have a sweet tooth, you will like the recipe as is but for me the next time I make it, I will only use 3/4 or half as much sugar.
As for its taste it has a great caraway flavor that reminds me of eating rye bread with a nice lemon zest from the coriander, and a slight fennel kick. Serve it neat direct from the freezer, use it in cocktails like the Old Fashioned (with bourbon or rye), the Silver Bullet or my favorite, a simple Kummel & Soda in a tall glass full of ice.
Review: Modern Ancient Grains Project Bolita Belatove Oaxacan Pink Corn Whiskey
Free sample bottled provided by Workhorse Rye. Photo by Rob Easter
AT A GLANCe
Owned by: Workhorse Rye
Distilled at: Sutherland Distilling Co. in Livermore, CA
Still Type: Hybrid Still
Spirit Type: Corn Whiskey
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 50%ABV
Price: ~$44 (375ml) from Modern Ancient Grains Project
The Modern Ancient Grains Project is a product of the experience and ethic of Rob Easter, distiller and owner of Workhorse Rye. For this bottling Easter used 100% Bolita Belatove pink corn to make this whiskey. Bolita Belatove is grown in the central valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico, and just six years ago it was in danger of going extinct. However, interest from high end restaurants and epicureans have helped to sustain this beautiful variety of corn. In Zapotec belatove is the name for the maguey worm (technically a caterpillar) that lives off agave plants. It is not know why the corn and worm share this name but it might have something to do with their similar hue.
One of the standard refrains of conventional bourbon is that heirloom corn does not have enough starch and is therefore not as efficient as the standard #2 yellow dent corn. However, Easter’s corn mash was 22 brix! It is not uncommon for wine grapes to be harvested between 21 and 25 brix so the belatove definitely has enough potential. Once fermented, Easter double distilled the corn mash and aged the spirit in a mix of second fill 53 gallon barrels and third fill 25 gallon barrels.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: First thing you immediately notice is that this is a young corn whiskey. It has that typical note or yeast and cream corn. But as you sit with the whiskey it begins to reveal more complex aromas of stone fruit and cranberries, with just a hint of vanilla. There is also a nice light minerality to the nose that is very inviting.
Palate: On the palate the whiskey is light and a little hot but do not be dissuaded, it is packed full of flavor. On the tip of your tongue you first notice the earthy character that comes from the corn and yeast, but as the whiskey moves across your tongue it completely transforms. Mid-palate there is bright explosion of fruit flavors like a fresh compote made from blackcurrant and tart blueberries. And, as the spirit makes its way to the back of your palate you notice the oak with just a hint of vanilla and caramel.
Finish: The finish is long and warm with notes of milk chocolate and peanut butter. The finish has no bitterness and yet it has this great dance between sweet, salty, and savory that calls you back for another sip.
Conclusion: This corn whiskey from Rob Easter is like nothing else I've had before. He has shown a new approach to whiskey that is focused on the flavor potential unique grains and should be sought after by those looking for delicious whiskeys unencumbered by tradition. In my experience, corn whiskeys can be challenging. Unaged, they can be dominated by a somewhat musty and funky character from the fermented corn, and in a barrel, it is easy for the spirit to be overwhelmed by the oak and just taste like wood. But Easter has found the perfect balance of the two. The character of the heirloom corn mingled with the used oak has created something truly unique and special. The elegance and restraint of this spirit reminds me of how wine writer Jon Bonné described "New California Wine" that was focused on allowing the character of the fruit and the terrior to shine through. This spirit is not your average corn whiskey but a witness to the incredible flavor potential of heirloom corn and the great attention the distiller brought to this spirit. If you are a traditional bourbon drinker or a fan of Mellow Corn, this may be outside your comfort zone. However, if you are fond of restrained wines or light bodied malt whiskeys you may be open to enjoy this different and delicious spirit.
Review: Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey
Free sample bottled provided by Uncle Nearest.
AT A GLANCE
Blended and Owned by: Uncle Nearest, Inc
Distilled by: (Most Likely) George A. Dickel & Co.
Still Type: Column Still
Spirit Type: Whiskey
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 50% ABV
Price: $45-$65
Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey debuted in July 2017 to honor the memory of Nathan Green, the freed slave who was the first master distiller for Jack Daniel's Whiskey. Nathan went by the nickname Nearest and was called uncle by those who new him well.
Green was born in Maryland around 1820. At that time, Maryland had one of the largest populations of free blacks in the US so it is not yet know if Green was born a slave or born free and forced into slavery. However, by 1850 Green was living in Lincoln County, Tennessee as a slave and working as an experienced distiller for Dan Call, a Methodist preacher who owned a distillery near Lynchburg. Around that time, a young boy named Jasper Daniel, began working on Call’s farm and Call instructed Green to teach Daniel how to make whiskey. After the Civil War Daniel and Call restarted the distillery as partners and hired Green to be the head distiller. Eventually Daniel bought out Call’s shares and renamed the distillery Jack Daniel’s, after himself. In Daniel’s papers he clearly gave credit to Green for teaching him how to make whiskey and Green continued to work for him until 1884, when Green disappears from the historical record. Since then, decedents of Green have continued to work for Jack Daniel’s. Three of his sons, two of his grandsons and even a great-great-granddaughter who works on the bottling line for Jack Daniel’s today.
In 2016, Fawn Weaver, an author and real estate investor first read the story of Nathan Green in a New York Times article and felt compelled to find out all she could about him. She moved to Lynchburg, TN and began searching archives for evidence of Green and eventually made contact with his family. All told, Weaver collected about 10,000 documents on Green, established a foundation in his name and donated many of them documents and artifacts about his life to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
However, even all of that work would have meant that the story of Green would have remained a footnote in the long history of American whiskey. Determined to share his legacy with the world and to have his name spoken of in the pantheon of whiskey legends such as Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Jim Beam, E.H. Taylor and Jack Daniel’s, Weaver decided to create a whiskey company and brand in his honor. At present, Uncle Nearest is made from purchased whiskey, most likely from George Dickel, though that has not been corroborated by the brand’s marketing materials. That being said, the Nearest Green Distillery is currently under construction in Shelbyville, TN and will eventually distill and age the whiskey that goes into the bottle.
For now, Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey is said to be a blend of whiskies from Tennessee aged between 8 and 14 years old and that were mellowed using the Lincoln County Process. It is not clear if the brand chose to not label Uncle Nearest a Tennessee Whiskey or if there is some technical reason that it could not be labeled as such. Either way the decision is somewhat confusing given Green’s strong connection to both the state and Lincoln County, whose eponymous process is key to defining Tennessee Whiskeys uniqueness. All of that being said, Nathan Green has earned his well deserved place among the legends of American Whiskey and Uncle Nearest has done a good job at telling his story.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: The nose has a very nice sweet aroma of caramel, corn bread and charred oak. At 100 proof you notice the alcohol but it does not overpower the aromas. As the whiskey breaths you get a lovely floral perfumed aroma of white peaches and a mix of roses and irises.
Palate: On the palate the whiskey is slightly sweet and has a medium body. As the whiskey crosses your tongue there is a pleasantly sweet fruit flavor mixed with nutmeg followed by a hint of chocolate caramel. These brighter flavors are supported by a solid oak character, which has a very slight greenness to it that overall provides a nice earthy balance to the spirit.
Finish: On the finish the whiskey is soft with a light fruity character of raspberries, and cotton candy, underlined with a mellow woodiness.
Conclusion: Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is a very enjoyable whiskey and does a good job of honoring the memory of its namesake. At 50% ABV the spirit is soft enough to sip neat and the flavor is robust enough to carry through an old fashioned, manhattan or any other classic whiskey cocktail.