Texas...

[TexasSpiritsGeek]

I've decided to make them my next entry on my website. I'll have some answers for y'all soon.

[wadewood]

So apparently I'm the only one in Texas to have tried Herman Marshall...

My $0.02: It's very good. Not sure what the mash bill is, but the sweetness of the corn really pulls through on this one. The nose is strongly vanilla and dried fruits. I can't attest (yet) to the age or source of the whiskey, but it's tasty.

I've been following Texas distilleries closely for about a year now, and I decided to start a website (www.TxSpiritsGeek.com) to clear up any confusion caused (directly or indirectly) by the label on these products. I'm hoping to make a trip up to Dallas by the end of the month to check out all the distilleries up there and add a few more entries to the site. Any feedback ya'll would like to contribute would be greatly appreciated.

Balcones Rumble is not brandy; it's just considered a specialty spirit. Your list is complete but now you need to separate the makers and the fakers if you really want to clear up confusion. Many of the these distillers might have a DSP but they only thing they do with it is use it to buy tankers/ barrels of other people's product and then bottle in Texas. Does this make it "Made in Texas" to you? The following Distillers ferment, distill, age and bottle every product they sale right here in Texas (Grain to glass distilling):

Railean

Balcones

Garrison

Bone Spirits

Ranger Creek

[TexasSpiritsGeek]

Balcones Rumble is not brandy; it's just considered a specialty spirit. Your list is complete but now you need to separate the makers and the fakers if you really want to clear up confusion. Many of the these distillers might have a DSP but they only thing they do with it is use it to buy tankers/ barrels of other people's product and then bottle in Texas. Does this make it "Made in Texas" to you? The following Distillers ferment, distill, age and bottle every product they sale right here in Texas (Grain to glass distilling):

Railean

Balcones

Garrison

Bone Spirits

Ranger Creek

My intent is to give all distilleries a fair shake at providing information. I plan to approach each and every distillery. So far, I've only completed a couple of them, but I've got a couple more calls lined up for the next week. For now, I'll let folks make up their mind for themselves based on the information posted, but I might add some commentary later on down the road. Thanks for the input; I've been trying to figure out what to do with Rumble. It's hard to categorize.

[dcbt]

Balcones Rumble is not brandy; it's just considered a specialty spirit. Your list is complete but now you need to separate the makers and the fakers if you really want to clear up confusion. Many of the these distillers might have a DSP but they only thing they do with it is use it to buy tankers/ barrels of other people's product and then bottle in Texas. Does this make it "Made in Texas" to you? The following Distillers ferment, distill, age and bottle every product they sale right here in Texas (Grain to glass distilling):

Railean

Balcones

Garrison

Bone Spirits

Ranger Creek

It sounds like Dallas Distilleries can be added to this list even if we are not sure of the length of the aging time (but it does happen in Texas).

[smknjoe]

My intent is to give all distilleries a fair shake at providing information.

Are you going to visit each operation or just do a phone interview? It seems like there was another similar thread about Texas "Made" spirits and in it Tito's was mentioned as not actually showing the distillation process on their tours, but they tell people that they do distill.

[wadewood]

Are you going to visit each operation or just do a phone interview? It seems like there was another similar thread about Texas "Made" spirits and in it Tito's was mentioned as not actually showing the distillation process on their tours, but they tell people that they do distill.

Tito's does not give public tours. I've found that craft distillers that actually make their product are very proud of that fact and love for visitors to tour. If anybody ever gets to go on private Tito's tour, ask to see their fermenting tanks.

[dcbt]

Are you going to visit each operation or just do a phone interview? It seems like there was another similar thread about Texas "Made" spirits and in it Tito's was mentioned as not actually showing the distillation process on their tours, but they tell people that they do distill.

I just thought about Tito's; are the not 'legit' made in Texas?

[smknjoe]

I don't personally know, but I think Wade answered that. It just goes to show why these spirit "makers" are so adamant about throwing Texas around as much as possible...because it works. I asked the manager of a large chain store what he sold the most of and he said "vodka." Then, I asked what brand and he replied "Tito's." Why? It's "made" in Texas.

[squire]

Andy I appreciate your efforts though suggest only in person interviews will provide information we don't already know and anyone who refuses to openly show their operation has something to hide.

There are no secrets here, the process of separating alcohol from water has been well understood for 1000 years now and modern distilling from a simple pot is little different from that practiced in the 18th century. Just calling yourself a craft or artisan distiller won't cut it, your product should be good enough to be worth a premium so tell us why.

If the owner doesn't want to give out details on the mash bill, length of fermentation time, type of yeast, use of enzymes, distilling and barrel entry proof, warehousing information or other basic stuff, well, it's their business, yet they're producing a product for public consumption and should expect questions from their customers.

If all they can talk about is special water and local grains treating basic distilling information like it's classified top secret their lack of transparency should be posted as well.

[sku]

Here's the Texas distilleries section from my list of whiskey distilleries (some of the entries are a bit dated in terms of what has been released); I've done my best to try and figure out what is distilled vs. sourced, but as we all know, it's not always easy:

Balcones Distillery, Waco, TX. Baby Blue blue corn whiskey, True Blue Corn, malt whiskey, Brimstone, bourbon, etc..

Barkman Spirits, College Station, TX. They are working on Rio Brazos Whistlestop Texas Whiskey, a corn whiskey, and also plan on making a bourbon.

Bone Spirits, Smithville, TX. This distillery plans to release Fitch's Goat Corn Whiskey, as well as a vodka, moonshine and gin, in 2012.

Dallas Distilleries Inc., Garland Texas. Herman Marshall Bourbon and Rye.

Dorcol Distilling Co., San Antonio, TX. Kinsman Texas White Whiskey, a malt whiskey.

Double Wide Distillery, Red Rock, TX. This distillery is working on a corn whiskey.

Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. (aka F&R), Fort Worth, TX. This distillery is working on a bourbon but has so far released a sourced blended whiskey under the label TX Whiskey.

Five Points Distilling, Forney, TX. This distillery is working on Lone Elm Wheat Whiskey.

Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hye, TX. Garrison Brothers Distillery makes Garrison Brothers Bourbon.

Quentin D. Witherspoon Distillery, Lewisville, TX. This distillery makes rum and is planning on making Cross Timbers Texas Malt Whiskey. They also make bourbon which appears to be sourced from elsewhere.

Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling, San Antonio, TX. In 2011, this distillery makes Ranger Creek .36 Texas Bourbon and .44 Texas Rye. These may be sourced whiskeys.

Rebecca Creek Distillery, San Antonio, TX. This distillery is currently making a vodka and a sourced, blended whiskey (Rebecca Creek Fine Texas Whiskey) and a malt whiskey.

Yellow Rose Distilling, Pinehurst, TX. Located just north of Houston, this distillery is working on Outlaw Bourbon, made from a 100% corn mash, and a single malt.

In addition, I have these Texas NDPs listed:

Cotton Hollow Distilling, The Woodlands, TX. This company is marketing an LDI rye and a Tennessee bourbon, bottled by Strong Spirits.

Jem Beverage Co., Carrollton, TX. This company markets blended whiskey, a bourbon and a rye from an undisclosed distillery under the label Red River and is going to release Texas Shine and South House Moonshine.

North Texas Distillers, Lewisville, TX. This distillery makes vodka and has released 1835 Bourbon which appears to be sourced. They are also working on Texas Silver Star Spirit Whiskey and Salado Texas Whiskey.

Original Texas Legend Distillery, Orange, TX. This company is marketing Troubadour Bourbon, which appears to be a sourced bourbon.

Treaty Oak Distilling (formerly Graham Barnes Distilling), Austin, TX. This company is planning to release Red Handed Bourbon, a blend of sourced bourbons.

Whitmeyer's Distilling Co., Houston, TX. This company is planning to release what appears to be a sourced bourbon.

http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-american-whiskey.html

[TexasSpiritsGeek]

Andy I appreciate your efforts though suggest only in person interviews will provide information we don't already know and anyone who refuses to openly show their operation has something to hide.

[smokinjoe]

Andy I appreciate your efforts though suggest only in person interviews will provide information we don't already know and anyone who refuses to openly show their operation has something to hide.

There are no secrets here, the process of separating alcohol from water has been well understood for 1000 years now and modern distilling from a simple pot is little different from that practiced in the 18th century. Just calling yourself a craft or artisan distiller won't cut it, your product should be good enough to be worth a premium so tell us why.

If the owner doesn't want to give out details on the mash bill, length of fermentation time, type of yeast, use of enzymes, distilling and barrel entry proof, warehousing information or other basic stuff, well, it's their business, yet they're producing a product for public consumption and should expect questions from their customers.

If all they can talk about is special water and local grains treating basic distilling information like it's classified top secret their lack of transparency should be posted as well.

Dang fine post, S. I particularly like your part about the use of the words "craft and artisan". I agree, once they bring that in to the discussion, they better be prepared to defend it.

:toast:

[dcbt]

Finally tried Herman Marshall bourbon at a happy hour last night. I'm sure glad I didn't buy a whole bottle of this and was able to sample it first. I really didn't like it. That's not to say it was bad; I honestly can't tell. I say that because it smelled and tasted like scotch to me, and I dislike scotch.

[dcbt]

Article on HM in today's Dallas Morning News. Pretty unimpressive reporting if you asked me, though:

"They began their first batches in 2003 and compressed the aging process into just one year. The results were awful.

They refined their processes and lengthened their barrel aging to the legally required four to six years."

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/columnists/cheryl-hall/20141108-hall-award-winning-bourbon-hails-from-garland-industrial-park.ece

[cowdery]

The writer obviously only knows what they told her and doesn't know enough to ask intelligent questions. Here is the problem. They got their Federal permit in 2013. They got their state permit on August 26, 2014. They got their first COLA in 2013.

They claim they made their first batches in 2003. And they claim they have more than 120,000 bottles of 4 to 6 year old bourbon available for sale now.

In other words, they didn't make it themselves. They bought it from somebody and not somebody in Texas. Their 'explanations' don't pass the smell test.

[dcbt]

Or they were distilling without a license... They've been pretty adamant in the past about being a corn to bottle operation.

[squire]

Forest Gump's mother had some choice words about the difference between what someone says and what someone does.

[cowdery]

I have a theory. They're lying.

[TexasSpiritsGeek]

I have a theory. They're lying.

[wadewood]

I will try to get absolute clarification on this issue soon. Hopefully, I'll have some resolution shortly.

Good luck with that. It clear they claim to have 4-6 year old whiskey. It's clear they claim to be a grain to glass distiller. It's a fact they got their DSP in 2013. Review those 3 statements and there is a lie in there.

“We’re one of a handful of distilleries in Texas that make our whiskey from the corn up,†Louis says. “The waiting period to come out with a product is four to six years. Most people don’t have that patient money.â€

[cowdery]

By 'we' I assume he means 'me and the real distillery I buy it from.'