Can you describe DB taste?

[Ajmassa]

1st DB batch. I sweetened 10 days ago but kept it light at 1.004 not wanting to overdo it. It tastes even dryer now I think and will be bumping it up some before I bottle. But since this is my first dragon batch I'm not sure what it's supposed to taste like.
The dryer it is the more I taste that "medicinal" (as some described) taste. The same taste that I smelled all throughout fermentation. I wouldn't call it unpleasant, just not something I'd like my wine to taste like.
When adding syrup I noticed 1.010 range is where I don't taste that "dry medicinal" taste anymore. Is this normal? So when someone posts that they're keeping theirs on the dryer end are they just content in having that natural dry DB taste pushing through?
I know this wine is meant to be sweetened and I'm assuming it's for this reason. Am I on the right track here?

 

[Ron0126]

1st DB batch. I sweetened 10 days ago but kept it light at 1.004 not wanting to overdo it. It tastes even dryer now I think and will be bumping it up some before I bottle. But since this is my first dragon batch I'm not sure what it's supposed to taste like.
The dryer it is the more I taste that "medicinal" (as some described) taste. The same taste that I smelled all throughout fermentation. I wouldn't call it unpleasant, just not something I'd like my wine to taste like.
When adding syrup I noticed 1.010 range is where I don't taste that "dry medicinal" taste anymore. Is this normal? So when someone posts that they're keeping theirs on the dryer end are they just content in having that natural dry DB taste pushing through?
I know this wine is meant to be sweetened and I'm assuming it's for this reason. Am I on the right track here?

Let it sit a couple of months and that "medicinal" taste will mellow out. Mine did ... a lot. It's completely different than it was back in March. Almost not even the same wine. MUCH more fruit coming out.

You're on track. Stay the course and give it a little time. HARD to do, I know. Really hard because you want your family and friends to enjoy what you've done. And if you're like me, you can tolerate it a little better than they can when the wine is young. Haha!

The best thing to do is start another batch, then another, then another. Start a cheap kit and "tweek" it the Joeswine way (check out the thread Tweeking Cheap Kits). Move on up to more expensive kits and before you know it, you'll have some 6 or 10 or 14 month old wine to taste and enjoy. Next up will be juice pails and lugs of grapes!

 

[Ajmassa]

1st Dragon Blood I meant. Not first wine. One of the reasons I decided to make a DB was because the Rosè I made may not be able to be bottled and enjoyed before September. I wanted something quick to give out to fam and friends for the summer.
Basically I just wanted to know:
-if my natural dry DB unsweetened taste is typical of all DB?
-what SG is too low? 1.004 seems way too low to me currently.

WMT is flooded with DB and SP fanatics so I had to see what all the fuss was about. Quick and easy seems like the selling points. I'm sure sweet wine drinkers will enjoy it. But so far I'm not loving it. (Please Forgive my blasphemy). I'm sure I'll enjoy a glass once in a while, but probably won't be reaching for it off the rack.
When I sweetened I had a whole bunch of glasses at different SGs to see what was what. I kept the batch low after reading much more fruit will be coming forward in time.

 

[Ron0126]

It will vastly improve by September.

I put all that about making more and more and moving up to kits and pails because of your tag line! That one is one of my favorites.

Seriously. The DB gets better and better in my unofficial opinion.

 

[Ajmassa]

Lol. Gotchya. I mainly use the app and always forget that's there since signatures are only seen on the full site.

Sidenote: i'm not sure if that was based on you or not, but I'm going to offer up reversing the order since I worked backwards. Starting with seasonal juice and grapes and not starting (or discovering the existence of) kits until much later and finally now DB.
I'm very glad I did. No need to wait on seasonal juice or grapes. You can make some great wine without being an expert and just using basic knowledge and "time". If I started with kits those instructions would have had me worried about too many unnecessary details.
Tag line still stands true though. Jump in head first I say. Shoot first ask questions later.

 

[jburtner]

I too think it should sit for a while..... Teh fruit flavor does bloom after some time and so does the sweetness... I made two batches and one had much less lemon juice and less sugar and it was actually sweeter and fruitier. I did not take an SG reading to measure the sugar sweetness addition but it was 1/2cup into a 6 gallon batch.... Then let it site and sit and sit - finally bottling it after three months?

Ciao!
-johann

 

[Mismost]

I STILL have not made a batch of this yet. But, if sweeter is better tasting to YOU....I would sweeten it!
Most "non-serious" wine drinkers like sweet...give it to them. You said you were making it to give away anyway. Let 'er rip!

 

[Ajmassa]

Johann, 3 months would defeat the whole purpose of making it. Quick to bottle' was why I made it. Now I'm unsure. I make my wine dry and haven't backsweetened anything substantial before. It's almost like I have to guess how much fruit will be coming through in time. Waiting a little longer does make sense. Though I'm confident it will turn out well.
@mismost , sweeter is not normally better to me. Ever really. But with the DB it seems like it has to be. If any of this dryness comes through it tastes like a wine with an off-taste. Burying it with just the right amount of sweetness seems like the key here. And will taste like DangerDave intended.
Yes I'm gonna give most of it away, but i still want to make the best wine possible with it. Just working on finding that "sweet spot" [emoji6]

 

[Boatboy24]

I think the DB peaks around 6 months from pitching. 3-6 months of age seems to work well. Make it in February, bottle in April, and you're good for the summer.

 

[knifemaker]

I agree with all of the others who said that it improves with age, and it most definitely does. But I've always looked it as a fruity flavored hard lemonade meant to drink over ice It's an early drinker and I use it that way, while saving all of my maturing wines for when they're truly good.

 

[NorCal]

My DB tasted like Hawaiian Punch with a shot of vodka. It was a favorite of a few family members.