Noted Ep. 183: WOODRUFF (ft. Isuamadog)

Woodruff is a herb used in things like punch, brandy, ice cream, tea. Also used in a certain kind of German beer to cut the acidity.

TFA Sweet Woodruff: Emily thought it tasted like mens deodorant smells. A bit of pot pourri, a little sandlewood-y. Spicy but also kind of beach-y. Isuamadog found it really chalky. Unpleasant mouthfeel. After reading about how woodruff is used to cut the acidity in beer he mixed it with FLV Yakima Hops. Found it subdued some of the funk Yakima Hops has. But that funk is why he likes that flavour, made it less interesting. He then mixed it at 0.5% with VT Light Rum at 2%. VT LR is not a particularly strong rum flavour, has a little bit of booze. Found it dampened the booze note. Then tried it with VT Rum at 4% which at that % usually tastes like stale beer. Sweet Woodruff subdued it so much that could only just taste the funk. Also tried it with FLV Juniper Gin at 0.75%, which is very strong. He usually wouldn't use above 0.2%. Again subdued the boozy note. Tried it with VT Blood Orange Champagne and got a lot of blood orange and the champagne was missing. Could be useful if there's an alcohol flavour you want to use, but don't want the boozy-ness. Like using the floral notes in gin flavours to accent fruits (as was discussed on Gin episode) ID10-T didn't get a lot of flavour at 1%. Thought it mostly tasted like a bright, floral vanilla. The closest comparisons being FLV Sooth Vanilla, FA Vanilla Tahity or CAP Simply Vanilla. But not quite like any of them. They are more heavliy vanilla, TFA SW is more of a subtle vanilla. The base is a little sweet and a little fruity, like an apple/ cherry hybrid. Also a little grassy. A hay-like grassy, like a light tobacco. Had an ethereal, unplifting quality. Would definitely mix it with a tobacco at 1%. Maybe a vanilla tobacco or a tobacco ice cream recipe. Or adding 0.75-1% to his 'Longing' recipe. Would probably work well with the honeysuckle. At 2% not so light in flavour. Kind of still tasted like vanilla. But more of an unusual floral that' vanilla-ish and really bright. A bit mens deodorant-y. Has a little bit of floral tartness. Base is sweeter and rides the line between creamy and chalky. The fruitiness is a bit more cherry-ish than apple now. The hay-like grassy-ness is about the same as at 1%. Not really any more chemically either. But the floral-ness is more intense. At 4% had a plastic-y off note. Not super plastic, but present. Wouldn't recommend using at 4%, 2% is probably too high. But could be a lot of fun to experiment with around 1%. Emily and Isuamadog tested at 2%. ID10-T tested at 1%, 2% and 4%.

10.15

JF Woodruff: Isuamadog liked it the most of the three he tried. Semi floral, sweet. Hint of earthiness, but not at the same time. Overall it's hard to describe this flavour. Had it's own boozy note. Thought TFA SW leant more towards effervesent, rather than alcohol-y. JF may work better than TFA with alcohol flavours? Liked it better than TFA as it was warmer. Thought TFA was chalky and overbearing at 2%. Thought it would work well in alcohol and drinks. Cheeba and Isuamadog thought it might be a bit out of place in a tobacco. Would have to be a blonder tobacco. Probably wouldn't work with darker ones. Isuamadog tested at 2%

22.50

woodruff might be a good intro into florals.

EUR Woodruff: Like a cherry cough drop without menthol. Candy sweet. Artificial cherry. But with an unfamiliar herbal quality. 1% a little soft. 2% about same, but bolder. At 4% same cherry cough drop, but with more going on. Also had hints of vanilla. Cinnamon, spicy kind of note. Not plastic-y. ID10-T tested at 1%, 2% and 4%. Cheeba tested at 3%.

27.43

(stupidly I accidentally over-wrote this version with the shortened version I do for the show. So I couldn't recover the longer notes for EUR Woodruff)

Re. question in the chat: WF Starfruit is really good.*

There is a German 'May Wine' which is a sweet white wine with woodruff. Often strawberries are involved. I haven't had it in years but I've been meaning to try and make something similar.

I'm happy with my gluhwein (mulled wine) recipe, maybe I'll start on this next.

Thanks for all your hard work, Dixxie!

Best Woodruff Flavour of all-time = CBV Waldmeister It's very popular in the German Community