Craft Bourbons

[whitmal]

Hi,

I am exploring local bourbon made in my "region". the Northeast.

I have tried:

Rough Rider--very good for being so young

Hudson Baby Bourbon---very good but expensive

Kings County--very good but only in a 200ml bottle--leaving me wanting more

Berkshire Mountain--I can drink this all day. Very smooth with a nice long burn.

** Pine baron's Single Malt Whiskey--very unique, good for a beer/hophead. Made from distilled barley wine!

Anyone else come across craft bourbons worth mentioning??

[squire]

Yes, the craft whiskys from Woodford Distillery who use genuine pot stills rather than the column/pot hybrids used by most small distillers.

[mbroo5880i]

I can't speak to all craft bourbons but I would certainly want to try Tom McKenzie's products from Finger Lakes Distilling. While they are located a little more south than NE, I think Smooth Ambler would be close enough to consider. These guys are producing interesting whiskeys. They will be around for the long haul. Your experience with their products can grow along with their release. I understand the interest and allured but I would look for quality over location.

[smokinjoe]

Hi,

I am exploring local bourbon made in my "region". the Northeast.

I have tried:

Rough Rider--very good for being so young

Hudson Baby Bourbon---very good but expensive

Kings County--very good but only in a 200ml bottle--leaving me wanting more

Berkshire Mountain--I can drink this all day. Very smooth with a nice long burn.

** Pine baron's Single Malt Whiskey--very unique, good for a beer/hophead. Made from distilled barley wine!

Anyone else come across craft bourbons worth mentioning??

I have a positive opinion of the Berkshire Mountain. Not an endorsement, but it at least tasted somewhat like a bourbon. I hated the Hudson, though. Don't know much about the others that you list. In general, the crafts haven't delivered anything to me with bourbon whiskey that I enjoy to any degree. Their corns, malts, others etc,...can be nice. Just, nothing on the bourbon side for me, at this time.

[Richnimrod]

I'm with Joe on the Hudson Baby Bourbon. Not that swingin', IMHO

Most of the craft Bourbons I've tried are less than stellar. Corsair has some products that interest me, however, not available near me. 'Locally' Traverse Cirty makes a Bourbon that is better than some I've tried, for the age it does have (not all that much). It, however, is no bargain. A new 'distiller' just opened in Detroit (Two James Spirits) that is selling a decent, but hardly spectacular, Bourbon (Grass Widow) for rather too much $$; but, it is for the near term sourced (Indiana, I believe). Either of these is better than Hudson's offering. (IMHO)

[B.B. Babington]

not bourbons; but Catoctin Creek Mosby's Spirit unaged rye is pretty good and Wasmund's Single Malt is interesting.

[danz]

Not bourbon, but I recently had some John Myer Four Grain Whiskey, from Myer Farm in the Finger Lakes area, NY, that was enjoyable. They have some other offerings and may be worth a look.

[dSculptor]

A few weeks ago Btshorty brought over some Death's door white whiskey out of Middleton Wi., was very reluctant to try it as I am not a big fan of the white lightning. However I really like this stuff actually had a couple of pours!Found out that the mash bill is 80%wheat,20% malted barley, probably why I liked it so much,I think around the $30 mark, don't know why they think they can jump right up there in the mid-range right off the bat.I thought their approach was rather unique in that they allow it to "rest" or oxidize in s.s.vats prior to being put in barrels.

[squire]

Don I think white lighting (white dog, moonshine, etc) is an area where the micros can do something different though from your description these guys don't appear to be making a product worth twice the price of White Dog put out by Buffalo Trace or Heaven Hill. I do like the 80/20 mashbill though.

[zillah]

Dad's Hat Rye is worth a look, especially their finished ryes.

[Ari]

If you are looking for craft products from NY you should try Delaware Phoenix and Black Dirt. I found Delaware Phoenix's white rye surprisingly tasty and their bourbon was intersting, especially for such a young spirit. Both come in 375's and are twenty-something dollars. Black Dirt's bourbon is reasonably priced and I appreciate that it's 50%, rather than watered down into the 80's like so many of the crafts do. I don't think that any of these are a must have, but they were fun to try.

[BonVivant84]

Hillrock from NY for me is the way to go. The Solera (92.6pf) is really really good, and i just had the Double Cask Rye (90pf) this weekend. Super smooth and the oak really popped with a bit of water you will not believe its only 2-3 years old. Definitely on the pricey side but considering how expensive Hudson can get for a 375ml, Hillrock for me comes out on top (taste and price)

[kjbeggs]

I've been wanting to try and get my hands on some Hillrock Solera myself.

[Flyfish]

I think Smooth Ambler would be close enough to consider. These guys are producing interesting whiskeys. They will be around for the long haul. Your experience with their products can grow along with their release. I understand the interest and allured but I would look for quality over location.

So far, my experience with SA is their "scouted" iterations but if they get any where near as good at producing as they are to picking good bourbon, I am eager for their distillate to get some age on.

[risenc]

There are some good products coming out of Virginia. Catoctin Creek's barrel-strength rye is amazing. Reservoir, out of Richmond, makes some nice ryes, especially the ones aged in barrels from Gibbs Bros. (they also use one of the Minnesota cooperages -- Barrel Mill, maybe).

To be honest, I've been underwhelmed by the whiskey coming out of Northeast craft distilleries, pretty much across the board. I thought Pine Barrens's single malt was interesting, as was the Rough Rider rye. And I think a lot of those guys have promise. The improvement in Kings County's whiskey from the beginning to now has been noteworthy, though, yeah, they want a lot of money for a tiny bottle. And Hillrock, which is one of Dave Pickerell's big projects, is a standout, and has maintained itself even as the solera process has slowly replaced the original sourced whiskey with their own distillate. But so far, generally speaking, the hype around Northeast craft whiskey distilleries isn't justified.

That said, while it's not a whiskey, Thomas Tew Rum, out of Newport, is aged in Woodford barrels, and I'd have downed the whole bottle in a sitting if I could have. That's tasty stuff. Problem is, you can only get it in RI and parts of eastern Mass. But if you're in the area, it's worth seeking out.

[BigRich]

I have a positive opinion of the Berkshire Mountain. Not an endorsement, but it at least tasted somewhat like a bourbon. I hated the Hudson, though. Don't know much about the others that you list. In general, the crafts haven't delivered anything to me with bourbon whiskey that I enjoy to any degree. Their corns, malts, others etc,...can be nice. Just, nothing on the bourbon side for me, at this time.

I'll second that. Joe and I have lamented on this many times while enjoying far better "big boy" bourbons that cost significantly less.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Merrymash Monk]

There is Smuggler's Notch bourbon from VT. I've been curious to try this one but like a lot of "craft" bourbon and rye, you really have to parse words to figure out if this is their own juice or just an independent bottling masquerading as their own distillation. Did somebody just say "Whistlepig?" In any case, here's the web site:

http://www.smugglersnotchdistillery.com/bourbon.html

[tanstaafl2]

There is Smuggler's Notch bourbon from VT. I've been curious to try this one but like a lot of "craft" bourbon and rye, you really have to parse words to figure out if this is their own juice or just an independent bottling masquerading as their own distillation. Did somebody just say "Whistlepig?" In any case, here's the web site:

http://www.smugglersnotchdistillery.com/bourbon.html

No idea but the website seems to scream sourced. Not a still to be seen! Probably smuggled it in from MGPI.

[Merrymash Monk]

No idea but the website seems to scream sourced. Not a still to be seen! Probably smuggled it in from MGPI.

That's my impression too. Also, I've read that they get their barrels from Jim Beam. That sounds odd given that Beam just gets them from Independent Stave. So why wouldn't Smuggler's Notch do the same unless maybe they are too small for IS to sell directly to them.

[squire]

There are a couple of giveaways on their web page. The Bourbon is older than their company and the mashbills are ones used by MGP. It retails for $67.50 but I found some on sale for $50.00. Nicely written descriptions though.

[Merrymash Monk]

There are a couple of giveaways on their web page. The Bourbon is older than their company and the mashbills are ones used by MGP. It retails for $67.50 but I found some on sale for $50.00. Nicely written descriptions though.

Leave it to you Squire to catch the devil in the details. Yes they are brilliantly written descriptions. Maybe even too good because I think that's what made me wonder... Its what's in the glass that I'm after.

[tanstaafl2]

That said, while it's not a whiskey, Thomas Tew Rum, out of Newport, is aged in Woodford barrels, and I'd have downed the whole bottle in a sitting if I could have. That's tasty stuff. Problem is, you can only get it in RI and parts of eastern Mass. But if you're in the area, it's worth seeking out.

I knew I had seen this somewhere locally in Atlanta and today I stumbled onto it again. I need more rum like I need more whiskey but somehow a bottle managed to come home with me. Not sure when I will get to it but at least one more remains if anyone is interested.

[Hawg73]

I have enjoyed a bottle of Breckenridge Bourbon. Smooth, great rye finish and just enough heat for me.