A peach vodka tasting in two acts
Yikes! Okay, it looks like our relaunch didn't go as smoothly as we initially planned, but now we have a system! This from the guys who produced the catchphrase "Plans are overrated." Expect us to post more frequently in the future. For really!
We first tasted our peach vodka on a fine Thursday evening after four days of infusion. The research we conducted indicated that this would be plenty of time, but this was not to be. The vodka had attained a light orange-pink tint, but not much else. "This has very little peach flavor, no sweetness to speak of and is a bit sour," I wrote.
Wayland's take was similar. "There's definitely a strong vodka burn with this. I didn't get much peach flavor at all."
The vodka went back into the science fridge to infuse further. We tried it again a week later, for a total of 11 days of infusion. Our feelings were more mixed on this second try.
Wayland liked it in general but was slightly let down by it. "This is very good, except for the back end. It had a crisp, sweet front end, and a smooth, almost tasteless middle. It also left a sweet, peachy aftertaste. However, between the middle and the aftertaste, the vodka left a spoiler that marred an otherwise great vodka. This is good, but if not for the sour/burning back end, it would be great." (Wayland later clarified that the vodka had ruined the ending of that week's Stargate: Atlantis.)
I seemed to have gotten all the parts Wayland didn't like, but without the good parts to balance it. "Sourness is the wrong term for it. So is vodka burn. What I got is a tingling sensation that started dull and intensified through the back end. Quite unpleasant, though it does taste a little sweeter now."
We decided to give it some more time and see what happens. Of course, after that we kind of forgot about it, so it may have been left too long. But now it is in the system, so we will find out soon enough.
6 comments:
I'll be interested to see how that turns out, because peaches often seem to be better when left as a piece of fruit - they don't seem to be cooked with very often, and when they are, they are often mixed with other things - peach and mango is a personal favourite combination, as are spiced peaches.
Perhaps it would infuse better at room temperature instead of refrigerated. There really isn't any risk of something growing in it...
When I make vodka cordials (infused vodka with simple syrup added), I infuse at room temp. Nothing ever goes bad.
The fridge is effing up your infusions, man.
Another note: I tried peach vodka using dried peaches (because I stumbled across a packet of them at the supermarket, and an infusion using dried apricots had turned out well) and it came out golden and tasting of peaches. And I infuse them at room temperature, too.
Best practice says you need some sugar to help extract and intensify the flavour,. Try 250gm sliced peaches to about 700m]l vodka plus 1/4 c caster sugar. Slies in first, then sugar, then voidka and put lid on, shake about 3 mins to dissolve sugar. Taste progressively. 4 days, 6 days... til satisfied.
How ripe are the peaches? There's a vast difference between the store-bought and ones you pick straight from a tree (I know--I didn't like peaches until I picked a ripe one and ate it right there in the orchard. Omg amazing! )
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