We often talk about steeping here, yet it still comes up almost daily (usually in the comments section) with folks stating how much they disliked juice X when everyone else thinks it's To Die For.

The fact is, juice is a complex blend of different elements and quite often, it's not very good until those different flavors have a chance to meld into a singular, cohesive flavor profile...think about how much better a hearty stew tastes a day or two after it's been sitting in the fridge.

That being said, here is the process I use for steeping every juice I receive for review[1] (unless the vendor specifically requests that the juice be reviewed fresh from the mailbox).

Upon receipt, every bottle is opened, old air is squeezed out, new air enters.

The bottle then goes into the steeping drawer (cap on), in the order they were received so that I can better keep track of what's next for review.

Every day (sometimes every other day, as I do tend to get busy) the bottles are shaken, opened, and given another light squeeze to allow more fresh air into the bottle.

This process continues with every bottle until it is ready for review, usually 3-4 weeks.

I have also recently begun giving every bottle a single night, in the drawer, uncapped, just before review to help dissipate any of the volatile perfume-y/floral notes that some juices (pomegranate, blackberry to name a few) are burdened with.

If at that point, when I sit down with the juice to begin the review, it still doesn't taste right, I will occasionally attempt a hot water bath (sometimes even two) to see if there is any difference in flavor...to date, this has had no effect on bottles that have already been properly steeped.

I know there are many other methods (i.e. hot rice), but this is my method, and it works. I am hopeful that it will help out a few people who can't understand why everyone goes crazy for something like Indigo's tobacco flavors, when all they taste is hot gasoline and burning tree bark.