One for the little guys!

[Dolph Lundgren]

I'm not a fan of "craft" whiskey. Its too woody and young; there is something statutory about it all. But I had a chance to taste Journeyman Distillery's Kissing Cousins at WhiskeyFest this year, and I was impressed. It wasn't liquid gold - but it was good..more than just palatable, which I think goes a long way. Kissing Cousins is only a year old and finished in a Cabernet Sauvignon barrel. The wine influence is strong and flavor profile is not typical - but its good, so who cares. If I run across a bottle, I'll buy one.


We crap on a lot of "craft" whiskey here on SB, and most of it is merited (check out the most recent "Cleveland Bourbon Whiskey" thread). But there might be some decent micros lurking out there. Are there any that you are willing to plug on SB? If so, what bottles are worth our time and money?

[omgmarclol]

i'm digging koval's lines. i'm really crushing on dark oat with this warmer weather.

[squire]

I an in favor of craft whiskys and wish success to all who make their own stock. I doubt I'll be a customer though because I view whisky as a daily commodity and since there is an abundance of first rate four year old stuff available at rock bottom prices I won't be paying a premium for craft products. Twenty years ago perhaps but not now, wish them well though.

[VAGentleman]

I've tried a bunch of craft bourbons and have yet to try one that tasted good to my palette. Hopefully some of the micro's will go to bigger barrels and let them age more. That being said a few of the non bourbon whiskies are interesting and have a decent taste such as Balcones Brimstone and MB Roland Black Dog.

[callmeox]

Tom's Foolery doesn't have any whiskey in release yet, but what I've tasted from their aging stock makes me very hopeful that I will find a micro that I can drink.

[luther.r]

The only micro I've been impressed with is the Leopold Bros. American Small Batch Whiskey. It doesn't try to be a highly-aged product, but it's great for what it is. I'd like to try the McKenzie Rye, as well as other things Tom makes when they get older.

[MyOldKyDram]

I really like some of the things that Corsair is doing. Balcones, too.

[ramblinman]

I've only had Balcones True Blue, but I thought it was a very tasty high proof corn whiskey.If I see any of their other offerings at a bar I wouldn't hesitate to try it.

[DBM]

I think the majority opinion is that craft distillers can't compete with the establishment for traditional whisky, and especially bourbon. This often results in a business model that requires a brand to make a name for themselves with a product that is unique, that doesn't directly compete with Beam, HH, BT, etc. The result is whisky with flavor profiles that can be polarizing to consumers, or that requires gimmicky marketing to make it on retail shelves.

I personally like Woodinville Whiskey Rye, but for its $50 asking price (after 55% Washington State taxes) I would pick up a bottle of Rittenhouse BIB or Bulleit Rye at nearly half the price for a better bottle. The craft distillers need to make a product that has no alternative (and optionally with a plan to offer a good 4 to 6 year old product in quantity). Balcones and Corsair are two that come to mind that are doing this successfully. I would be surprised if any craft distillers are making "traditional" whisky that is both 1) equally as good as an established product and 2) competitively priced with an established product.

[Alden]

We have one here, Winter Park Distilling Company. I tried their "Bear Gully Corn" and it just tasted like vodka to me.

http://www.wpdistilling.com/

This is more interesting to me. When I was a kid my dad would take me on drives to Winter Park's Genius Drive, where there were flocks of wild peacocks. It's a back road in WP where some one long ago started raising the birds and they just flourished for many years.

http://www.wpdistilling.com/page8.html