NY Honey Whiskey out of Catskill Provisions & Finger Lakes Distilling

[Harry in WashDC]

Went to our regular bar/restaurant tonight.  I had the NY Strip with double fried fries and a lettuce wedge with bleu cheese (real French bleu, not Wisconsin blue which I like just as much as bleu, truth be told) and BACON.  They had no basic BT which is what I usually drink there so I asked for KC.  Next to the KC was a bottle I didn't recognize.  I got a FREE taste, and since we frequent the place a lot, it was a healthy taste.  Because it was such a pleasant taste, I just had to share my elation.  [ASIDE: Can one share an elation?]

Catskill Provisions is a nondistiller producer in Long Eddy, New York.  They make a thing called New York Honey Whiskey @ 80 proof.  Lew Bryson, according to their website -

http://nyhoneywhiskey.catskillprovisions.com/

likes it a lot.  Now, my wife likes stuff like Qream and JD TENN Honey, so I let her taste it.  I had trouble getting the glass back.   I tasted it.  I, too, liked it.  BUT -- something about NYHW @ 80 proof tasted familiar.  a quick glance revealed that it was RYE whiskey with honey added from local bees.  That explained the nice, grainy, slightly grassy bump I got when tasting and smelling.  There was no real mint, but it was familiar.  Hhhhmmmmm.

I put on my glasses.  The label clearly stated that Catskill Provisions gets its RYE from Finger Lake Distilling http://fingerlakesdistilling.com/

AHA!!  Brian McKenzie and his cohorts are selling their rye whiskey to NDPs!!  AND IT IS GOOD!!  It's time for me to get a bottle of the current rye without the honey to go with the young FLD rye on my shelf.  Just saying.

EDIT  Oh, yeah, NYHW is so much better than JDTH.  In my opinion, of course.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Harry in WashDC

[meadeweber]

I don't know about the whiskey but man Harry, that dinner sounds great! My mouth is watering.  That is my kind of meal.

[TheOakMonster]

From my understanding, Finger Lakes Distilling doesn't sell the whiskey to a NDP, but rather makes this in house under contract.  Either way, I actually enjoy this product too.  The Catskill Provisions isn't really a syrupy, sweet mess like the mass produced stuff.  It really is more a rye whiskey with a kiss of honey (which to me comes through mostly on the finish). I find it's a really nice, polished product.

[Harry in WashDC]

7 hours ago, TheOakMonster said:

From my understanding, Finger Lakes Distilling doesn't sell the whiskey to a NDP, but rather makes this in house under contract.  Either way, I actually enjoy this product too.  The Catskill Provisions isn't really a syrupy, sweet mess like the mass produced stuff.  It really is more a rye whiskey with a kiss of honey (which to me comes through mostly on the finish). I find it's a really nice, polished product.

Thanks for the info.  And I agree that this is a really nice drink by itself - no need to hide it in a cocktail or treat it like a liqueur.