Home made toppings?

[DireWolf]

I have some 5100 Red cake on the way that will get jarred up and cellared.

I've been thinking about pulling out an ounce or two and adding some really good rum to it before jarring to see what happens after packing it up for a year or so. I've come to really like Zacapa 23 Solera, and thought it might make a great topping on a mild neutral red like 5100.

Figured I'd take an ounce of rum to a couple ounces of water, and mist it onto some dried out 5100. Let it air dry again, then cram it into a jar for a year.

Thought maybe two ounces with Zacapa and two with a bourbon (Basil Haydens) or even scotch might be interesting (Ardbeg, or similar).

Anyone ever try this?

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Poke Ozark Wizard, he's been blending and flavoring his own tobaccos for quite some time. He sent me some samples, and everything I have smoked so far was very well done.

Most of all, I would imagine that the biggest issue would be avoiding the encouragement of mold growth. Also I would imagine that what you are trying to achieve could be done with Bacardi, Wild Turkey and Cutty Sark. I'd save the aged rum, B. Hayden and fine Islay malt for drinking.

Not to derail your thread, but how does that Zacapa compare to Zaya?

 

[DireWolf]

Didn't really consider mold to be an issue - but point taken.

I figured if (like cooking) the better the ingredient going in, it will improve the end product. The Solera is fruity and caramelly and mellow. I can't think of anything to do with any Bacardi.


I'm not a huge rum fan (I am a scotch fan), but I like the Zacapa a bit better.  That said, I go through Zacapa faster than my scotch (a big ice cube and a dash of cherry bitters is so good it's criminal), and I like it enough that I am seriously considering trying the Zacapa XO.  As I understand it, the 23 in Solara is not a strictage expression, but a more mass produced version of the 23 Anos.

That said - I'll have one sipping rum in the cabinet, two bourbons, and four scotches.

It may be like having Highland Park 12 and Balvanie Doublewood - both great you like scotch enough to be able to tell and enjoy the differences.

I've turned on many rum drinkers to it, so it's worth a try if that's your thing.  $43 or something up north here, and worth every penny, IMO.

 

[ftrplt]

I like your idea of topping your own 'baccy. Be sure and tell us how it works out!! Your taste in Whiskey/Whisky parallels mine. RZ23 makes for some mighty smooth sippin'. Gonna' give the bitters thing a try; never done that or the ice thing either. Sip mine out of a port snifter. Balvenie DW is as good as it gets. I/we just adore single malts, Scotch and Irish. Pipe smoking and whiskey/whisky just go well together. Dang, I'm ready to hit the likker locker right now :drunken: FTRPLT

 

[DireWolf]

I like your idea of topping your own 'baccy. Be sure and tell us how it works out!! Your taste in Whiskey/Whisky parallels mine. RZ23 makes for some mighty smooth sippin'. Gonna' give the bitters thing a try; never done that or the ice thing either. Sip mine out of a port snifter. Balvenie DW is as good as it gets. I/we just adore single malts, Scotch and Irish. Pipe smoking and whiskey/whisky just go well together. Dang, I'm ready to hit the likker locker right now :drunken: FTRPLT

I like huge peat bombs, which I think is why Latakia blends really hits me the right way.

It's like enjoying a belt of Uigeadal with my morning coffee.

On the rum - it's not traditional with ice and bitters, but I like sweet manhattans, and it's about like a sweet manhattan without the vermouth and a bit of Caribbean flair.

That's why I thought of using the 23 for a topping.

Just not sure how to do it.

I thought straight might be too concentrated, so thought about adding a touch of water to spray it onto air dried ribbon. Didn't think about mold though........

 

[ftrplt]

I could tell you like the Islay's and Island whisky's. I have an 18-year-old Caol Ila that will blow your socks off. Can smell the peat/smoke as soon as the cork is popped!!!!! :drunken: FTRPLT

 

[DireWolf]

The 18 is certainly better than the 12!

Yummy stuff.

 

[Stick]

Hey chaps. Interesting post DW Sir.

Having spent some time working and living in the Highlands I took it upon myself to learn about single malts; well, I figured someone had to do it. Long story short... my favourite after much sampling, ahem, hands down is Lagavulin. It's an Islay and is extremely complex. And I swear you can taste the sea air too. If you haven't tried it yet and you like Islays (and you can get it state side), grab some. I doubt you'll regret it. To me it's the kind of the malts.

 

[monbla256]

5100 RC doesn't have enough ketchup topping ? :evil: :evil: :bball:

 

[DireWolf]

Hey chaps.  Interesting post DW Sir.

Having spent some time working and living in the Highlands I took it upon myself to learn about single malts; well, I figured someone had to do it.  Long story short... my favourite after much sampling, ahem, hands down is Lagavulin.  It's an Islay and is extremely complex.  And I swear you can taste the sea air too.  If you haven't tried it yet and you like Islays (and you can get it state side), grab some.  I doubt you'll regret it.  To me it's the kind of the malts.

If you Like Lag 16 (My favorite), try the Distiller's Edition. It's Lag 16 that they put in sherry casks for another 2 years.

Beautiful stiff, IMO. I've been hearing Lag 16 (as with many single malts) is declining in quality from the olden days with huge production pressures. I still love the stuff. Good enough for me.



Now.

How do I get those flavors onto tobacco before aging.

:lol:

 

[Ozark Wizard]

As with any good liquor, I fail to see why you would want to bruise the alcohol with water, much less anything else...

If you feel you must add H2O, use only distilled.

I did a rum topped Burley/VA mix I thought was rather drab. I tried different amounts over several samples, two ounces of weed each. The first was a light mist, about ten spritzes from a small misting bottle, like perfume bottle. (Got it from Walmart in the health and beauty dept). It delivers a very fine mist. The second batch I doubled, the third I doubled the double.

I used Meyer's dark rum, not diluted..

tossed like salad in a glass bowl until the wet tobacco mixed well enough not to clump up or cling to the bowl. Cover with a dry paper towel until 'cased'. When it got dry enough to smoke, I put it in half pint Ball jars for three weeks...

Batch one was rather unremarkable. Really couldn't tell if it was any different than the original blend untopped.......

Batch two was noticeably sweeter. That's it.

Batch three was not only sweeter, but I got a taste of caramel and rum. It did however, act like a PG laden aromatic. I went ahead and dried it to a crisp, then brought it back to 'case' using distilled water.


I really like the results.

I have known others (including myself) that have tried to top with booze and this I know: Use cheap, get cheap. Or, you get what you pay for......

From the research I've done, seeing how Big Boys top their products, the stuff is soaked in toppings and then brought back to 'case'. They do not spare the horses.

Neither should you.

Oh, and don't try tequila. ANY tequila. It does terrible things to good weed.

The Glenlivet is a nice topping, but it helps to add honey to the whiskey, just a little sweet...

Anyway, that's my tuppence....

 

[DireWolf]

So.... 40 "spritzes" to 2 oz of tobacco.

What volume was that for booze? Are we talking an ounce? Jigger?

The water was simply to stretch the alcohol - if I don't need it due to the higher amount of booze, then so be it.

And this would be for more like several months of cellaring. I'd really want it have a good soak, coupled with a several month/year cellar for the Va's.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Ozark Wizard]

The spritzes are pretty light. Um, I would say it amounts to half a shot, maybe not that much. Each spritz is so scant, it's hard to tell. I think it's a two ounce pump sprayer.

Just looked, iGo 2 oz. fingertip sprayer. I think it's for nail polish remover.

What?????

And the two ounces of tobacco was dry, so the volume was larger than a typical 1.76 oz. tin. I think the biggest trick was to dry the tobacco to smokeable condition before canning, otherwise there might be the potential for mush when you eventually crack it open.

Another issue that comes to mind is what are the effects of alcohol on the natural fermentation that occurs in the tobacco? I've made some blends, and some date back to 2009. I know different types of weed either age gracefully or don't on their own. Only a couple of them I cased and topped with alcohol. Maybe it's time to pop the tops on a couple?

Welcome to the world of biochemistry!

 

[Blackhorse]

I've done this with whiskey and with rum. It was OK. Not an earth changing event, but OK...leaning up against good, maybe. What changed it (made it better) for me was stoving it.

I used a big old crock pot. Lid on! Did it outside. Look up stuff on stoving...but I gather you want to heat the mass of leaf moderately - not to cook it, but to meld things well...and it would seem that the process lends itself to the addition of spirits. I think you want things very warm...but not cookin' hot.

Stir the pot well, every 30 min. or so. I would think you'd want to spend either an afternoon, or an evening at it. Four hours? But that's just my gut. That's why I suggested looking up some well practiced directions, if at all possible.

Good luck!

 

[Ozark Wizard]

I like the crock pot thing too. It's how I make my Cavendish....

 

[DoverPipes]

Get one of these: http://www.misto.com/

 

[Blackhorse]

Now we need the lad to figure out how to rig up a home press...make himself a little home brew Lakeland Rum Plug!  :cheers:

 

[DireWolf]

Get one of these: http://www.misto.com/

Just bought one for oil, and I was wondering if one would work well with booze.

I'll have to look into the storing thing a bit. I've seen something about it, but didn't give it too much thought at the time.

 

[juanmedusa]

Now we need the lad to figure out how to rig up a home press...make himself a little home brew Lakeland Rum Plug!  :cheers:

Yeah, maybe Dark Flake Unscented. Or Coniston. The flavor in on those already a bit subtle but present.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

The Misto would also be good for combating pipe-breath. Fill it with Scope and carry it around like an industrial sized Binaca.