Anyone with experience tasting a french oak-aged stout?
A couple weeks ago I added 1.25 oz medium-toast oak cubes to the keg of my imperial stout. Now I have come to realize that I inadvertently purchased french cubes instead of american. Plan is to let sit for 6 months.
I find that French oak is more smooth, more silky, but much more subtle. American oak is stronger and can be obtrusive. I prefer the French myself.
The french has a slight brie and foie gras taste
Thank you, that is helpful. I liked the first version of this beer that I used american cubes in. I am deciding between letting it ride or fishing them out and adding american cubes… I will prob let it ride as is. I suppose I could spike the keg with an ounce or two of bourbon later on if it needed something.
delish…
When I first started using oak I read some advice about lightly boiling the wood to get the harsher tastes out, so I tried it. Then I tasted the oak tea that I was suppose to discard and it was delicious. “Why would anyone want to get rid of that?” I thought.
Just let your oak sit or do my tea experiment and decide for yourself.
Suuuuuuure it does…
