What "Other American Whisky" are you drinking?

[emr454]

I'm having Bernheim Wheat as my 3rd pour tonight. My last sip gave me a huge burst of cola/Dr. Pepper. Wow, never had that before. Not the most complex or interesting whiskey, but at $27 for a 7yr straight whiskey, not a bad deal IMO.

Edited February 18, 2017 by emr454
It's a whiskey, not bourbon

[smokinjoe]

20 minutes ago, emr454 said:

I'm having Bernheim Wheat as my 3rd pour tonight. My last sip gave me a huge burst of cola/Dr. Pepper. Wow, never had that before. Not the most complex or interesting whiskey, but at $27 for a 7yr straight bourbon, not a bad deal IMO.

Wow!  A whiskey that delivers a huge burst of cola/Dr. Pepper sure sounds interesting to me!  I love it when a familiar whiskey pops me with something new that I've never had before.  

[Agalloch]

Havent had this in a few years but this first pour is more delicious than I remember.

[Harry in WashDC]

Copper Fox Whisky, 94 proof, "Less than 4 months old", from Ric Wasmund's Belmont Farms of Virginia, Culpeper, Virginia.  It's been in the bottle, half full, for about a decade now.  We put it in a classic Old Fashioned -

 

2oz. CFW

1 tsp. simple syrup

couple drops of Angostura bitters

some lemon peel

4 ice cubes

 

Put all but the ice in regular OF glass and muddle a bit.  Add a couple ice cubes and stir.  Add the other two ice cubes.  Suck down.

 

[marshbound]

23 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said:

Copper Fox Whisky, 94 proof, "Less than 4 months old", from Ric Wasmund's Belmont Farms of Virginia, Culpeper, Virginia.  It's been in the bottle, half full, for about a decade now.  We put it in a classic Old Fashioned -

 

2oz. CFW

1 tsp. simple syrup

couple drops of Angostura bitters

some lemon peel

4 ice cubes

 

Put all but the ice in regular OF glass and muddle a bit.  Add a couple ice cubes and stir.  Add the other two ice cubes.  Suck down.

 

What the....

 

Is there a mash bill noted on the label?    I think I own or have owned most of Rick's creations over the past 5 years but nothing like that.

[tanstaafl2]

17 hours ago, marshbound said:

What the....

 

Is there a mash bill noted on the label?    I think I own or have owned most of Rick's creations over the past 5 years but nothing like that.

 

"What the...." indeed! Copper Fox Rye, unless it has changed of late, was always an apparently deliberately pretty young whisky (as they like to use) made from about 2/3 rye and 1/3 malted barley. The malt is typically smoked over various fruit wood like apple and cherry and aged with fruitwood chips in smallish used barrels. I think that it is a little older now than some releases in the past but not really sure.

 

Never was quite my cup of tea. Or whisky for that matter.

[marshbound]

On 3/13/2017 at 2:51 PM, tanstaafl2 said:

 

"What the...." indeed! Copper Fox Rye, unless it has changed of late, was always an apparently deliberately pretty young whisky (as they like to use) made from about 2/3 rye and 1/3 malted barley. The malt is typically smoked over various fruit wood like apple and cherry and aged with fruitwood chips in smallish used barrels. I think that it is a little older now than some releases in the past but not really sure.

 

Never was quite my cup of tea. Or whisky for that matter.

My Copper Fox Rye was bottled May 21 2015 at 18 months old, and is also 2/3 rye & 1/3 barley; 60% applewood and 40% cherry were used for the smoking process.  My Wasmund's Single Malt is also 18 months (batch 129).  Last time I stopped in I picked up a single malt that is aged 32 months - the first 18 I think as per normal and the last 14 in an apple brandy barrel, what they described as an experimental single barrel (batch G-1).

I love ryes but am kind of lukewarm on theirs;  I quite like the smoky flavors of the single malt, quite a unique offering among American whiskies;  The apple brandy finished bottle is yet another step up, more complexity and better blended flavors though still retaining the signature smokiness.  You can do tastings there now, not sure if you're nearby but you can taste special offerings like the brandy barrel one before committing.

 

No 4 month product on my shelves though!

 

[VAGentleman]

On 3/11/2017 at 8:27 PM, Harry in WashDC said:

Copper Fox Whisky, 94 proof, "Less than 4 months old", from Ric Wasmund's Belmont Farms of Virginia, Culpeper, Virginia.  It's been in the bottle, half full, for about a decade now.  We put it in a classic Old Fashioned -

 

2oz. CFW

1 tsp. simple syrup

couple drops of Angostura bitters

some lemon peel

4 ice cubes

 

Put all but the ice in regular OF glass and muddle a bit.  Add a couple ice cubes and stir.  Add the other two ice cubes.  Suck down.

 

I seem to remember  that Ric Wasmund worked at Belmont Farms back in the day, had a falling out and left to start Copper Fox.  I think there was a dispute over the name copper fox and Belmont Farms changed the name to Kopper Kettle.  I can't seem to find any info on this though.  Was I dreaming?

[Harry in WashDC]

On 3/28/2017 at 6:17 AM, VAGentleman said:

I seem to remember  that Ric Wasmund worked at Belmont Farms back in the day, had a falling out and left to start Copper Fox.  I think there was a dispute over the name copper fox and Belmont Farms changed the name to Kopper Kettle.  I can't seem to find any info on this though.  Was I dreaming?

(A belated) No, I don't think you were dreaming.  As the attached pictures show, Rick Wasmund did work at/as/for/with Belmont Farms of Virginia, Culpeper, Virginia, in 2003 or so.  I'm just guessing from the laser code (03 11 262 3 1629) and the Anchor Hocking logo and glass marks (5B and 3 51 03) that this bottle was filled in or about 2003, and RW's name appears on the label.  According to a couple of older articles on ellenjaye.com, Chuck and Jeanette Miller purchased the farm in 1975 and received their distiller's license in 1989.  A 2005 article says Virginia Lightning, a 100 proof corn whiskey (several pocket flasks of which I still have left from a case I bought back then) and Copper Fox whisky were two of its products.

 

RW's own Copper Fox Distillery started in 2005 in Sperryville, VA (which is about 28.5 road miles and 50 minutes from Belmont Farms) according to the Copper Fox website (www.copperfox.biz).

 

I did not go to the ttb to look up the label approvals for Copper Fox and Copper Kettle.  The Sunday paper is calling to me.  Maybe later. 

 

EDIT - Oh, yeah - back in 2010 when I bought a Wasmund's Rye Spirit @ 4 months old and 62 proof, I think the purveyor who talked me into it knew Mr. Wasmund personally (which is one reason he wanted me to try it and tell him what I thought);  the words and phrases like "his own drummer" and "loves to experiment" and "a classic character" are associated with that dim memory - photos of the purveyor and some guy standing in front of a still and some barrels were passed around.

 

Second edit - Uh, the rye is "less than 30 days old".  I still have 2/3 of that, too.

Edited April 2, 2017 by Harry in WashDC

[VAGentleman]

23 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said:

(A belated) No, I don't think you were dreaming.  As the attached pictures show, Rick Wasmund did work at/as/for/with Belmont Farms of Virginia, Culpeper, Virginia, in 2003 or so.  I'm just guessing from the laser code (03 11 262 3 1629) and the Anchor Hocking logo and glass marks (5B and 3 51 03) that this bottle was filled in or about 2003, and RW's name appears on the label.  According to a couple of older articles on ellenjaye.com, Chuck and Jeanette Miller purchased the farm in 1975 and received their distiller's license in 1989.  A 2005 article says Virginia Lightning, a 100 proof corn whiskey (several pocket flasks of which I still have left from a case I bought back then) and Copper Fox whisky were two of its products.

 

RW's own Copper Fox Distillery started in 2005 in Sperryville, VA (which is about 28.5 road miles and 50 minutes from Belmont Farms) according to the Copper Fox website (www.copperfox.biz).

 

I did not go to the ttb to look up the label approvals for Copper Fox and Copper Kettle.  The Sunday paper is calling to me.  Maybe later. 

 

EDIT - Oh, yeah - back in 2010 when I bought a Wasmund's Rye Spirit @ 4 months old and 62 proof, I think the purveyor who talked me into it knew Mr. Wasmund personally (which is one reason he wanted me to try it and tell him what I thought);  the words and phrases like "his own drummer" and "loves to experiment" and "a classic character" are associated with that dim memory - photos of the purveyor and some guy standing in front of a still and some barrels were passed around.

 

Second edit - Uh, the rye is "less than 30 days old".  I still have 2/3 of that, too.

Thanks Harry.  I did some more digging as well, talked to someone who used to work at Copper Fox and everything you stated was confirmed.  Also there was some kind of falling out and Rick ended up getting the name Copper Fox and Chuck changed the whiskey's name to Kopper Kettle.  Rick couldn't use the name for a couple years which is why Wasmund's was their first whiskey and Copper Fox came later

[Journeyman]

Dry Fly Distilling's Straight Washington Wheat Whiskey.  It reminds me a lot of WSR.  I'd like to get a bottle of the cask strength at some point. 

[RT Fan]

Poured myself a Bernheim Wheat whiskey on Saturday night, neat. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Better than the cocktails I had made with it. Learn something new everyday.

[Kpiz]

I'm drinking some Belmont Farms Kopper Kettle Virginia Whiskey. The label states it is 4 years old and was aged in apple wood and white oak. Pretty good stuff considering the young age and lowish proof (86). If I had tasted blind, I probably would have guessed that this is some unleaded scotch, maybe a Benrinnes or something like that, aged in first full ex-Bourbon for 10ish years. It does have a unique flavor that hits at the beginning of the finish, and I'm wondering if it's the apple wood coming through. It's not fruity exactly...I'm not sure how to describe it. Overall, pretty good stuff.


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[beasled]

Having some High West Campfire this evening. The bottle has grown on me. I didn't think the combination worked initially but now about half way through the bottle and it's opened up a little bit more I'm rather partial to it. I would have liked a little more peat though.

[VAGentleman]

On 4/13/2017 at 0:10 AM, Kpiz said:

I'm drinking some Belmont Farms Kopper Kettle Virginia Whiskey. The label states it is 4 years old and was aged in apple wood and white oak. Pretty good stuff considering the young age and lowish proof (86). If I had tasted blind, I probably would have guessed that this is some unleaded scotch, maybe a Benrinnes or something like that, aged in first full ex-Bourbon for 10ish years. It does have a unique flavor that hits at the beginning of the finish, and I'm wondering if it's the apple wood coming through. It's not fruity exactly...I'm not sure how to describe it. Overall, pretty good stuff.


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Belmont Farms just released a BIB version of this.  Its definitely better at 100 proof.  Still seems a little hit or miss and at $45 a little too pricey for what it is, but if you want something a little different it can hit the right notes

[Kpiz]

On 4/17/2017 at 8:54 AM, VAGentleman said:

Belmont Farms just released a BIB version of this.  Its definitely better at 100 proof.  Still seems a little hit or miss and at $45 a little too pricey for what it is, but if you want something a little different it can hit the right notes

 

Thanks, I didn't realize they make a BIB. I think the 86 proofer is solid but I can imagine the extra proof is very helpful. I might take a shot on the BIB version if I saw it at $45, although that's far from a value proposition.

[Paddy]

I polished off the last dregs of a gifted GJ over the weekend.  That bottle was easy, quick drinking! 

[lcpfratn]

I polished off the last dregs of a gifted GJ over the weekend.  That bottle was easy, quick drinking! 

It certainly is gentlemanly smooth. [emoji6]


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[Backdoctor]

Got a Richter's American Whiskey for $10 off at Total Wine.. paid $38... Anyone I share it with loves it.

 

[Mule Skinner]

I picked up a Bernheim Wheat last week.  It's good, different, sort of "simple", but really smooth.  I wanted to try something different, and I'm glad I got it.  But I won't buy another one.  

[Harry in WashDC]

Um, stretching "American Whiskey" to include the continent, tonight was a neat pour of CR Hand Selected Barrel @ 103 proof.  If I didn't know better, I'd think somebody spiked my KC with maple syrup OR put KC/Maple  in my CR bottle.  Good thing tomorrow is Sunday.  I be making breakfast and will put this on my waffles.

[Kpiz]

Finishing off a bottle of Mosswood light whiskey finished in sour beer barrels. It's hard to know how much influence the sour beer actually had on this...there is a slight tartness on the finish that's actually kind of nice, but that's all I can pick out. I'd probably have to do a SBS with the base whiskey and the barrel-aged product to really pick out what the beer barrel imparted. I wasn't sure about this at first but I've come to appreciate it. It scratches the same itch Irish whiskey or other similarly light and nuanced whiskey might.

[beasled]

Had this in the bunker for a while, decided to crack it open tonight. Needed some water adding but once opened up the nose is quite special, with a toasty oak mixed with a little bit of sherry, and lots of raisin. 

 

Palate is quite dry initially, opening up with astringent sherry, rich fruits, quite dominant oak, a little waxy. Finish is a little short but pleasant.

 

This is a 2012 bottling according to the bottle. 

 

Cheers!

[kevinbrink]

My Brother and Sister-in-law gave me a bottle of Jack Daniel's gold for my birthday this year, until tonight I had yet to crack it. Was really having an off kind of night until drinking some finished ryes so I decided I would go with something else out of left field and after one sip this fits the bill. Looking forward to trying this again another night, my first impression is that this is really unique and enjoyable.

[Journeyman]

Drinking some of Dry Fly's Straight Washington Wheat Whiskey.  Nice stuff.