A failed experiment.......

Today was the day I decided to end a "failed" experiment. On November 11th, 2011, I filled small charred oak liter and 2 liter barrels with some Heaven Hill Trybox Rye. It was unaged, 125 proof right off the still in Kentucky. Here, about a week short of 6 months, I poured the barrels out to see what had happened to the whiskey aging inside. As you'll notice from the photo, the whiskey has certainly changed color! Note that it looks very similar to a whiskey that was aged for a decade or more. The flavor is another story. Even though it has picked up the color and tannin flavors of the oak, the hot, yeasty, bread-like notes of the unaged whiskey are all still present and powerful. The rye is unfortunately not pleasant at all to drink and will probably be mixed or used for cooking. A failed experiment to age my own whiskey. Or was it?

 Through this 6 month experiment, I have learned quite a few different things, all of which are invaluable to me as a whiskey connoisseur. It has reinforced the findings of Buffalo Trace distillery, Chuck Cowdery, and Jason Pyle that small barrels just don't age out whiskey correctly. There is no substitute for time and patient aging in a 53 gallon barrel. I handled this experiment like a micro-distiller would age their product and got pretty much the same result they do- An unbalanced whiskey that still carries all the unfavorable notes of an unaged product, but with a severe dose of oak tannins.

 Read more about Mr. Cowdery and Mr. Pyle's findings here:
 Sour Mash Manifesto Article
 Chuck Cowdery and Buffalo Trace

I have already started a new experiment though. Using the same 1 and 2 liter barrels, I am already aging some 80 proof Heaven Hill white label bourbon, which is 3 years old and $10 per liter here in PA. I want to see what effects the small barrels will have on an already aged product at a low proof- along with seeing how much of the rye flavor is transferred to the bourbon from the soaked wood of the insides of the barrels. This experiment should yield something drinkable- and hopefully really tasty too!

The newest automotive addition!!

Welcome my 2003 Ford ZX2. This car is another one of my small list of odd-ball Fords I've owned. The ZX2 went through its production run basically unchanged from 1998-2002. For 2003 only, the front bumper, wheels, interior cloth pattern, radio, and engine tuning were changed. There may have been as few as 20,000 sold. This car is a base model with a 5 speed manual transmission, manual locks, and crank windows. However, it does have cruise control. I got the car for a good price and am happy with it. I need to really brush up on my 5 speed skills though. I am self-taught and driving it daily has shown I have much to learn! Here's 2 photos:

The Escort gets a new engine!

Well, the band-aid patch I did to the old engine last fall didn't work out. The previous owner didn't do regular oil changes and the block was severely worn- to the point that the pistons could wobble back and fourth in the bores! So it was time for a replacement. I had several options, but I decided to go with a Ford remanufactured engine since it carries a 3 year, 100,000 mile warranty and it was installed by factory trained technicians. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it right! Here are a few pictures of the new, shiny engine that replaces the worn 105,000 mile boat anchor:

The train derails in Manheim.

The local Norfolk Southern freight train derailed on the wye in Manheim this morning. I am an avid railroad fan and things like this don't happen very often. The train was making its exchange of tank cars with Ferrellgas when the one rail gave out and the train ended up on the ground. The track on the wye wasn't the greatest so I had a feeling this was going to happen sooner or later. I hear the horn of another train coming into town from the west so I am wondering if that is the wreck train from Lancaster. I think I'll go check it out. For now, here are a few pictures: