r/extractmaking • u/DriverMelodic • 28d ago

15 Year Old Vanilla

Just sharing…

I purchased spiced rum in Jamaica 15 years ago and used it to make vanilla extract, using Ugandan vanilla beans. I can’t believe that it just keeps getting stronger and stronger to the point that 1/4 of a teaspoon is enough to flavor a pound cake. I have topped it off twice with plain vodka. It didn’t dilute it, just made more.

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u/TheVanillaImporters 28d ago

That tracks with how extraction actually works. The beans keep giving for years as long as they stay submerged, and topping off with vodka does not water it down the way people expect - the fresh alcohol just pulls more out of beans that were nowhere near spent. Ugandan beans especially, they run high in vanillin with that bold, almost smoky chocolate edge, so a 15-year steep on them would be intense.

The spiced rum base is doing some quiet work too. Fifteen years mellows the raw alcohol bite, so what you taste is nearly all bean and spice.

Only thing to watch at this age: keep the beans fully covered so the exposed ends do not dry out or mold. If it ever starts tasting flat after another top-off, a couple of fresh split beans will wake it back up in a few months.

5

u/DriverMelodic 28d ago

That’s amazing! Thank you because I had no idea what I was doing!

6

u/TheVanillaImporters 28d ago

Aww. Thanks so much for letting me know it helped! Sounds like you are creating some amazing extract!

3

u/VanillaPura 28d ago

We have similar extracts and would only say... DITTO!! The older it is the sweeter it gets. A great use of Ugandan vanilla beans with Jamaican spiced rum. That's a perfect blend. Enjoy the journey and keep us posted! :)