Ageing & Infusions

Fresh spirit off the still is honest but young. Time in contact with oak is what softens it and gives it colour, and this is the shelf where that work gets done at home without waiting years for a barrel to do it slowly.

What we stock falls into two camps. Oak in solid form gives you the slow version. Still Spirits Bourbon Barrel Chips 100g scatter through a jar and give up flavour quickly because of all that surface area, while Still Spirits Bourbon Staves 200 g work more gently over weeks and are easier to pull out when you have had enough. The Samuel Willards Soakers in Bourbon, Rum and Whisky are the quick route, a sachet steeped in the spirit and strained off. Then there are the finishing touches. Still Spirits Profiles Adjunct Distillers Caramel adjusts colour, and Profiles Adjunct Glycerine adds a little body and roundness on the palate.

The tip we give across the counter is to taste every few days and write down what you find. Oak does not go backwards. Most people who end up with a woody, bitter drop got there by leaving it and hoping, not by tasting too often. Pull it early, because you can always put it back in.

Come and talk it through at Laverton North or Epping, or browse oak chips, staves and planks, botanicals and spirits and distillation.

Fresh spirit off the still is honest but young. Time in contact with oak is what softens it and gives it colour, and this is the shelf where that work gets done at home without waiting years for a barrel to do it slowly.

What we stock falls into two camps. Oak in solid form gives you the slow version. Still Spirits Bourbon Barrel Chips 100g scatter through a jar and give up flavour quickly because of all that surface area, while Still Spirits Bourbon Staves 200 g work more gently over weeks and are easier to pull out when you have had enough. The Samuel Willards Soakers in Bourbon, Rum and Whisky are the quick route, a sachet steeped in the spirit and strained off. Then there are the finishing touches. Still Spirits Profiles Adjunct Distillers Caramel adjusts colour, and Profiles Adjunct Glycerine adds a little body and roundness on the palate.

The tip we give across the counter is to taste every few days and write down what you find. Oak does not go backwards. Most people who end up with a woody, bitter drop got there by leaving it and hoping, not by tasting too often. Pull it early, because you can always put it back in.

Come and talk it through at Laverton North or Epping, or browse oak chips, staves and planks, botanicals and spirits and distillation.

products-samuel_willard_s_bourbon_genuine_oak_barrel_soaker_100g_artisans_bottega.png
Samuel Willards
Samuel Willards Bourbon Soakers 100g
(0)

$7.50 AUD

In stock
products-samuel_willard_s_rum_genuine_oak_barrel_soaker_100g_artisans_bottega.png
Samuel Willards
Samuel Willards Rum Soakers 100g
(0)

$7.20 AUD

In stock
products-samuel_willard_s_whisky_genuine_oak_barrel_soaker_100g_artisans_bottega.png
Samuel Willards
Samuel Willards Whisky Soakers 100g
(0)

$8.20 AUD

In stock
Still Spirits Bourbon Barrel Chips 100g
Still Spirits
Still Spirits Bourbon Barrel Chips 100g
(0)

$10.90 AUD

In stock
Still Spirits Bourbon Staves 200 g
Still Spirits
Still Spirits Bourbon Staves 200 g
(0)

$16.50 AUD

In stock
Still Spirits Profiles Adjunct Distillers Caramel
Still Spirits
Still Spirits Profiles Adjunct Distillers Caramel
(0)

$8.90 AUD

In stock
Still Spirits Profiles Adjunct Glycerine
Still Spirits
Still Spirits Profiles Adjunct Glycerine
(0)

$8.90 AUD

In stock

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