We're all familiar with Grey
Goose, Jim Beam and a host of other fine spirits available at almost all
establishments. How about saffron-flavored Vodka or a Blue Corn Vodka?
BourbonBlog.com introduces you to three American Craft Distillers who are each
distilling a spirit in way that it has never been done before. Ahh...now that
is the real “American Spirit!”
American Craft Distilleries are growing at an increasing
rate. Prepare for a journey through flavor in BourbonBlog.com's series of
podcast radio interviews with American Craft Distilleries.
We start in Oregon
with Sub Rosa Distillery's Tarragon Flavored Vodka and Saffron Flavored Vodka.
Sub Rosa literally means, “Under the rose” in
Latin, referring to something done in secret. A real Renaissance man started
this distillery with a background in logging, fishing, software developing and
yes, even some wine and beer making. Mike Sherwood's background is varied, but
his, “I never knew one day I'd be a distiller” story is like many others we
find. An idea hits that sounds like, “What if I made a spirit that tastes like
this?” That idea is followed by a lot of experimentation. In Mike's case, his
wife and “partner in crime” helps him perfect the flavors with her culinary
palette. The flavors of this Saffron vodka include toasted cumin, lemony
coriander and hot spices.
“I don't need a focus group to tell me what to do. In
fact, a focus group would tell me not to do make the vodkas I'm making,” says
Mike. “You now see larger distillers taking larger risks.”
So why has there been a resurgence of craft distilleries?
“A lot of these distillers came from beer and wine backgrounds. ‘Been there
done that’ and they want to do more. That combined with laws changing, making
it easier and distributors are picking up these spirits the last five years or
so,” Sherwood explains. He also encourages foodies to ask for locally produced
and craft spirits just as you would with food. Listen to Mike Sherwood tell his
story on the BourbonBlog.com podcast.
From a one of a kind Oregon
flavored vodka we travel to New
Mexico to savor another ingenious American vodka and
story. Olha Dolin and her husband Ron were visiting Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Distillery in Kentucky
several years back when they sampled some Organic Rain Vodka produced there.
She was so in love with the flavor of Rain that she envisioned making vodka
from New Mexico's
famous Blue Corn. This vision soon led to the production of the world's first
Blue Corn Vodka. Their Don Quixote Distillery and Winery's signature product is
the Blue Corn Vodka, but they also produce ports, brandies, pisco and other
spirits.
We interview Master Distiller Olha Dolin, who originally
hails from a Ukrainian family of vodka distillers. She describes how their Don
Quixote Blue Corn Vodka is one vodka that doesn't need added flavoring. There
are two factors that give this vodka so much flavor. First, Blue Corn is the
sweetest of all corns and that flavor shines through in end product. Second,
the high altitude leads to a sweeter end product and gives character in the
distillation process. Fortunately for Olha, her husband Ron is an engineer and
has designed a copper alembic pot still to maximize the advantages of
distilling at 7500 feet above sea level.
Enough vodka for today? Now on to the Eastern slope of
Blue Ridge Mountains, 90 minutes from D.C. to Sperryville, Virginia.
In this town of two-hundred people, we find The Copper Fox Distillery once
again doing a one of a kind American spirit.
Financial planner Rick Wasmund was attending a Scotch
whisky tasting enjoying a “dram” of Johnnie Walker when he had a desire for a
new flavor in Scotch. “Are there any fruitwoods used to flavor the malts of
whiskies?” Rick asked himself. After searching and only finding more and more
peat-flavored malts, he saw an opportunity do something new for his life,
community and all the whisky drinkers of the world. Thank you, Rick! Today, The
Copper Fox Distillery is the only distiller in the world that flavors their
malt with Cherrywood smoke and the only distiller in North
America that malts their own barley.
For the Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky, Applewood and
Oakwood chips are added during the maturation process while it is aged in a
used Virginia Gentleman Bourbon barrel. When I was introduced to this whisky
for the first time at Firefly Southern Grill in Evansville, I was so amazed with the unique
flavors balancing between a Scotch and Bourbon. Rick started Copper Fox in 2005
and they are on batch # 36 of the Single Malt always aiming to, “make it
better.”
Copper Fox has just introduced a delicious Rye whisky and
a Barrel Kit. The Wasmund's Barrel Kit contains the distillate of Rye or Single Malt and a
small charred barrel. This distillate is clear cask strength (124 proof) spirit
which is what a whisky is before it is aged. Basically, you get to age the
whisky yourself for a long as you'd like to see what it is like to be a
distiller.
Join us as we learn what life
is like distilling on this podcast series on BourbonBlog.com and check out our
website for links to find where to buy and order each of these spirits.
________________________________________________________________
Photos Courtesy BourbonBlog.com
