Finger Lakes Distillery

[Parkersback]

My wife and son and I made a trip to Finger Lakes Distillery last weekend. I suppose that Tom McKenzie (the master distiller, and a member of SB), Brian McKenizie and the rest of the folks there could have been more gracious and hospitable to us, but I can't imagine how.

The distillery is on a hill, a beautiful spot that overlooks a small orchard, and then farther out is a view of Seneca Lake. I was surprised at how small the distillery is (although I have never toured any other distillery, so my frame of reference is nil): it's the size of a really big barn. The top floor is a tasting room, and below is where the distillery is, including where they store the barrels. Tom told me they plan on expanding it soon to accommodate more barrels.

It's a very small operation. As Tom talked with me he was doing most everything himself, and he was able to walk me around the whole show within a few steps, from where grain is ground to where the pot still is to the barrels aging above us.

I have to confess, much of what Tom described to me was somewhat beyond me (which was my fault, not his: I know next to nothing about distilling, and I was chasing my 4 year old son as he tried to explain things). But there were some really cool, really interesting things I got to experience nonetheless: smelling and tasting some rye mash (remarkably sweet--it smelled, looked and tasted like hot breakfast cereal), some corn mash (predictably sour), and some barrel strength rye white dog (Tom says he doesn't care for unaged rye, but I liked it, even at 130+ proof). I also got to taste some of the bourbon they have in big barrels that they will soon be marketing (their current stuff is in smaller barrels), and it was pretty great. I was struck by the depth of it. There was a brown sugar note to it that was really nice.

In addition to some bourbon that Tom generously gave us in trade for some dusties, my wife and I bought some of their cherry liquer. We liked it so much because it tasted like... Surprise: Cherries! Not cherry syrup or a cherry cough drop, but like fresh cherries. I am looking forward to making some kind of Old Fashioned with it, concocting some desserts, or sipping it neat and ice cold after dinner.

For a variety of reasons, I want to be a fan of the micro-distilleries that I know of, so I went in to my visit to Finger Lakes hopeful that it'd be a good place making good booze. Even so, they far exceeded my expectations: everyone we talked to was kind and friendly, the products were good, and reasonably priced. Of course Tom is here on the board, so it'd be hard for me to say I didn't like his bourbon. But I genuinely did like it, and so did my wife. Sure, even the stuff coming out of the big barrels is young (2 1/2 years I think), but it's not offensively young. It's not hot or thin. It is sweet, and has a complexity to it that I did not expect. I like it now, and I am really looking forward to tasting it at 4 years old.

Since it has been mentioned in other threads about microdistllers, including Finger Lakes, in terms of the price ($40 per 750ml of bourbon), I think of it the same way I think of the local farmer's market I visit every week. Yes, some of the stuff there costs more than the stuff I get at the grocery store. But I admire and respect the work that the farmers and butchers and cheesemongers there are doing, and because of them I get products that are not only unique, but are often uniquely excellent. It does not stop me from buying "cheap" stuff at the grocery store, but I like both options. Similarly, I'm going to keep buying big brand whiskey that is much "cheaper" than McKenzie Bourbon (Weller 12, RittBIB, etc.), but I'll also be buying McKenzie because (a) I like what they are doing, and because, ( I just flat out like the bourbon.

[Bourbon Boiler]

For a variety of reasons, I want to be a fan of the micro-distilleries that I know of, so I went in to my visit to Finger Lakes hopeful that it'd be a good place making good booze.

I find myself thinking the same way. But in addition to wanting to like it, I want it to be "different". The microdistilleries can't compete on pure price, and in my humble and limited opinion, I think too many make a quality but ordinary product. It seems they try to justify the price only because of the prefix "micro" on the label. This works better for the microbreweries, as they have an easier time with differentiation.

I'm glad Finger Lakes seems to understand from your notes.

[tmckenzie]

Thanks for the good thoughts. We enjoyed having you stop by. We used to have a lot of space in there, but as you saw, we are just about walking on barrels to be able to make whiskey. Barrel warehouse and bottling hall should be ready by November, then we are upgrading fermenters and my most longed for thing is happening this week. A brand new hammer mill and grain delivery sytem to the cooker. No more lugging around hunderds of pounds of grain a day. Geuss I will need to start back going to the gym. Glad you liked the bourbon. I am biased but it is getting older and better with each release. If anybody else is in the area, give me a holler.

[Jono]

It is nice to see the emphasis on local farmers for sourcing of their various fermentaion products. This "harkens back to yesteryear" when local distillers thrived across the country.

http://www.fingerlakesdistilling.com/index.php/our-products

Since it appears the products are only distributed in NY, we can only hope in the future they will distributed more widely..online purchases?. Like other microdistillers, the emphasis must be on quality and product differentiation...for example, mash bills with atypical grains etc. that produce unique whiskeys. Non-bourbon whiskeys have a niche that really is only just beginning to be filled, not just Rye, but other grains such as oat, spelt, wheat etc. offer ways to bring unique products to market. I imagine simply achieving local/regional success with a quality product and controlled distribution can be just as rewarding for a true "micro" distiller.

[tmckenzie]

We are blessed to have all we need to make good whiskey right around us. Malt is all we bring in. We just shipped out our first loads out of state. Cant say just where yet. On another note, fired up that new hammer mill yesterday. Boy, we can put some mash out now.

[SmoothAmbler]

Since it has been mentioned in other threads about microdistllers, including Finger Lakes, in terms of the price ($40 per 750ml of bourbon), I think of it the same way I think of the local farmer's market I visit every week. Yes, some of the stuff there costs more than the stuff I get at the grocery store. But I admire and respect the work that the farmers and butchers and cheesemongers there are doing, and because of them I get products that are not only unique, but are often uniquely excellent. It does not stop me from buying "cheap" stuff at the grocery store, but I like both options. Similarly, I'm going to keep buying big brand whiskey that is much "cheaper" than McKenzie Bourbon (Weller 12, RittBIB, etc.), but I'll also be buying McKenzie because (a) I like what they are doing, and because, ( I just flat out like the bourbon.