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With St. Patrick’s Day almost upon us, Irish Whiskey articles, ads, and IG posts are abundant. However, I am choosing another whiskey path that leads to the birth of whiskey, bourbon, and moonshine in America.  George Washington Distillery's Barrel Room. Photo credit: Penny Weiss Here are a few interesting facts from an article I published a few years ago. “It was 1620 at the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia, where colonist George Thorpe is credited with distilling America’s first batch of corn-made whiskey. It was the prelude to corn-made moonshine and bourbon. One might think that it all began in Kentucky, but Bourbon County, Kentucky, was part of Virginia until the late 1700s!"  Berkeley Plantation Photo credit: Ravel “Also, in the late 1700s, a Baptist preacher named Elijah Craig, who lived in Orange County, Virginia, is sometimes credited for being the first to age whiskey in charred oak casks, thus creating bourbon. And let’s not forget George Washington, who began commercial distilling in 1797 at his Mount Vernon property in Virginia. It was the largest whiskey distillery in the country during that time. Most of his whiskey was a blend of 60% rye, 35% corn, and 5% malted barley. After a fire in 1814 destroyed the building, Washington’s distillery was eventually reconstructed in 2007, and it now produces small batches of whiskey each year.”  Tasting some GW whiskey! Photo credit: Penny Weiss Today, over 70 licensed distilleries are located throughout Virginia, from south to north and east to west. Interestingly, more craft distilleries are here than in Kentucky and Tennessee combined. And the variety of whiskey being produced in Virginia is impressive. In addition to whiskey, bourbon, and moonshine, many distilleries make gin, rum, vodka, brandy, aquavit, pastis, absinthe, and flavored liqueurs. Most of these distillers use only locally sourced ingredients to ensure a quality product and work with and support the community and local farmers. And it is awe-inspiring, but not surprising, how many of these distilleries opened up their hearts and turned their businesses into the manufacturing of hand sanitizers during the Covid pandemic. Switching production from spirits to making hand sanitizers provided front-line healthcare workers, first responders, hospitals, and their communities with this much-needed product. Let’s talk about whiskey. Whiskeys are oak-aged spirits usually made from rye, barley, wheat, and corn. Whiskey production can vary depending on the distiller, style made, and country of origin. However, the process, which can include malting, mashing, fermentation, and distillation, is basically the same. First, grains are converted from starch to sugar, then fermentation begins, followed by distillation, and finally, maturation takes place. This is a general guideline for types of whiskey: To be labeled “Scotch Whisky,” it must be distilled and aged in oak casks in Scotland for a minimum of three years. Irish Whiskey, as a rule, is made from a combination of malted and un-malted barley, and other grains. Pot stills and/or column stills are used for distillation. Malt Whiskey is made with only malted barley, and distillation must take place in copper pots. In North America, whiskey can be produced anywhere, but there are strict rules for Kentucky and Tennessee. Bourbon is a whiskey that is made with a mixture of grains. By law, it must contain at least 51% corn. Although bourbon is produced throughout the USA, the majority of it is made and aged in Kentucky. Tennessee Whiskey can only be produced in Tennessee. It, too, like bourbon, must contain at least 51% corn. What sets this whiskey apart from Bourbon is that Tennessee whiskey must be filtered through sugar maple charcoal before oak aging, making it a smoother and sweeter whiskey. Moonshine is also called white whiskey, white lightning, and mountain dew. It is a high-proof liquor usually made with sugar and corn and is not aged. It is illegal to produce moonshine if one doesn’t have the proper permits and government permission. Several years ago, while on a press trip to Virginia, I tasted over 100 styles of whiskey, bourbon, and moonshine! Here are four whiskeys to tease your palate.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Single Barrel Whisky This pre-Prohibition style rye whisky is made from organic 100% rye grain, sourced locally when available. It is aged in new Minnesota white oak casks for just under two years.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss The color borders on dark amber with aromas of rye, caramel, red fruit, and a hint of baking spice. This whiskey is smooth, with caramel, spice, and a woody taste that comes through on the palate. Vanilla and spice linger on the finish. Alcohol: 40% (80 Proof) SRP: $44.99 (750 ML) 200 ML shown in photo Bare Knuckle Straight Bourbon Whiskey It is made with 70% corn, 20% wheat, and 10% malted barley, all sourced from local Virginia farms. It is double distilled and aged 24 months in charred new American White Oak barrels from Kentucky.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss The color is between amber and copper with sweet corn, caramel, and savory smoke aromas. This whiskey packs some heat, but the sweet corn, nutmeg, toffee, spice, and oak notes soften the edges. The finish is long and enjoyable. Alcohol: 45% (90 Proof) SRP: $45 John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey A. Smith Bowman is the oldest operating distillery in Virginia. The names on each bottle of whiskey pay homage to a relative. This bottle is named after Colonel Bowman, the first military commander and governor of Kentucky County. It is triple distilled and aged ten years in new charred oak. No mash bill was given. (mash bill is the mix of grains used)  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Amber in color, the nose offers vanilla, sweet apple, and berries. The palate provides toffee, figs, and a nice amount of heat, with a long finish of vanilla, almonds, sweet corn, and oak lingering. Alcohol: 50% (100 proof) SRP: $65 Prelude: Courage & Conviction American Single Malt Whisky This is Virginia Distillery Co.’s flagship spirit. They use the highest quality malted barley and fresh spring water from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hand-hammered copper pot stills crafted in Scotland are used to distill this 100% malted barley spirit using time-honored techniques and then aged in sherry, cuvée, and bourbon casks for 3.5 years.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Aromas of sweet apple, toffee, raisins, berries, floral, and vanilla emanate from this copper-colored whiskey and segue onto the palate. Gentle heat, oak, dark berries, honey, a touch of sherry, and light spice linger on the finish. Alcohol: 46% (92 Proof) SRP: $78 These are great sipping whiskies, or try mixing in a favorite whiskey cocktail. And if you’re tempted, there is always this 90-proof moonshine from Belmont Farm Distillery or this 100-proof 1st Sugar moonshine from Twin Creeks! But, of course, you might have to go to Virginia to taste the moonshine!  Photo credit: Penny Weiss  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Whatever you choose to sip on St. Patrick's Day, be smart, be safe, and stay hydrated with water! Until next time…
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com For those of you not familiar with whiskey, allow me to give you a very brief description of the subject. Whiskeys are oak-aged spirits usually made from rye, barley, wheat and corn. The production of whiskey can vary depending on the distiller, style made and country of origin. However, the process, which can include malting, mashing, fermentation and distillation are for the most part basically the same. Grains are converted from starch to sugar, fermentation begins and then distillation takes place followed by maturation.  Here are a few examples of whiskeys: To be labeled “Scotch Whisky”, it must be distilled and aged in oak casks in Scotland for a minimum of three years. Malt Whiskey is made with only malted barley and distillation must take place in copper pots. Irish Whiskey, as a rule, is made from a combination of malted and un-malted barley, in addition to other grains. Pot stills and/or column stills are used for distillation. In North America, whiskey can be produced anywhere, but there are strict rules for Kentucky and Tennessee. Bourbon is a whiskey that is made with a mixture of grains. By law, it must contain at least 51% corn. Although Bourbon is produced throughout the USA, the majority is produced and aged in Kentucky. Tennessee whiskey can only be produced in Tennessee. What sets this whiskey apart from Bourbon is that the new make spirit is filtered through sugar maple charcoal prior to oak aging. So, on that note, let’s take a trip to Manassas, Virginia where some mighty fine craft whiskey is being produced at KO Distilling. The “K” is for Bill Karlson and the “O” is for John O’Mara, life long friends who met as classmates at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Although they went their separate ways after graduation, they always stayed in touch. They each had successful careers in the defense contracting industry and both took early retirement. But rather than idling away the hours “fishing”, Bill and John joined forces in 2013 to make spirits using local ingredients with the intent of embracing the local community with their new adventure. KO Distilling was incorporated in 2013 and construction began in 2015 to create a state-of-the-art production facility and local tourist attraction. After initially offering un-aged whiskey and gins, Bill and John produced their first aged spirit in November 2016 called Bare Knuckle American Wheat Whiskey. Bill is CEO & Marketing/Sales Director and John is President and Head Distiller. John graduated from the Moonshine University of Distilling, Louisville, Kentucky in 2013. Bill Karlson and John O'Mara Photos courtesy of KO Distilling I received a sampling of Bare Knuckle whiskeys and was immediately captivated by the labels depicting famous boxers on the front and the interesting text on the back.  Bare Knuckle American Wheat Whiskey is made with 60% wheat, 30% rye and 10% malted barley sourced from local Virginia farms. It is double distilled and aged for 19 months (as shown on the bottle) in charred new American White Oak barrels from Kentucky.  The color is copper with aromas of caramel, vanilla and spice. It has an invitingly warm and rich mouthfeel with lingering notes of butterscotch, spice, toasted wheat and hints of honey. Simply delicious! Alcohol: 45% (90 Proof) SRP: $35.99  The boxer on the front of the bottle is Irish-American fighter, Jimmy Gardner. Quote on the back label: “Daily, you face life’s challenges with your grit, guts and gumption. You get knocked down, take a mandatory eight-count, get up off the canvas and dare to fight again. Yeah, the world’s a tough place, but you’re made of sterner stuff. You’ve got the persistence to endure, to triumph”. Bare Knuckle American Rye Whiskey is made with 100% rye, sourced from local Virginia farms. It is double distilled and aged for 20 months (as shown on the bottle) in charred new American White Oak barrels from Kentucky.  It is a slightly darker copper color than the Wheat whiskey. Heady aromas of toasty oak, floral and spice segue onto the palate with fennel, vanilla, baking spice and a smooth lingering finish. The sweetness is rounded out by oak notes. Alcohol: 45% (90 Proof) SRP: $45.99  The boxer on the front label is African-American world heavyweight champion, Jack G. Johnson. Quote on the back label: “Early Bare Knuckle fighters traveled American byways plying their trade, gaining fame and entertaining the masses. They pushed the boundaries of life. Those who did well, reaped the rewards. KO Distilling is all about pushing those boundaries to fight, to win. As one of KO’s founder’s surname invokes “ Opima Spolia” (The Riches of the Spoils), so does our rye. Bare Knuckle Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made with 70% corn, 20% wheat and 10% malted barley all sourced from local Virginia farms. It is double distilled and aged for 24 months (as shown on the bottle) in charred new American White Oak barrels from Kentucky.  The color is between amber and copper with aromas of sweet corn, caramel and savory smoke. This whiskey packs some heat, but the sweet corn, nutmeg, toffee, spice and oak notes soften the edges. The finish is long and enjoyable. Alcohol: 45% (90 Proof) SRP: $35.99  The boxer on the front label is early 20th-century U.S. champion, Mary “Texas Mamie” Donovan.
Quote on the back label: “For ages, women, like men, have battled for family to make a living, for rights and just causes. Like the American female fighter from the early 1900s who is on our front label, some have ventured into the ring to apply their pugilistic skills – to fight, to win, to advance and prevail. For all those women who work hard every day, we salute you”. KO definitely makes a statement inside and outside the bottle. I must admit that I am not a big fan of whiskey. But after what I sampled today, my palate is quite pleased! Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
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