Barbancourt & Haiti Earthquake

We learned through the Rhum Barbancourt twitter account that the proprietors are safe - but no word on the condition of the distillery. For those seeking to help the country, donate to charities where all the money goes to the victims such as Catholic Charities or Doctors Without Borders. And to help the distillery, purchase a 15 year old Rhum Barbancourt.

American Moonshine

On another raining weekend we decided to explore the bar and see what interesting items we hadn't opened. Viola, instantly several different bottles of whiskey appeared - either straight corn whiskey or labeled "moonshine". Why not a comparative tasting. Within our collection were:

1. Virginia Lightening distilled by Belmont Farm Distillery in Culpeper Virginia. This 100% corn whiskey is double distilled in a copper pot still and diluted to 100 proof.
2. Mountain Moonshine distilled by West Virginia Distilling Company from Morgantown, West Virginia. Although labeled as moonshine, this is a 80-20 blend of grain neutral spirits and corn. After careful blending, we add oak chips that have been roasted to just the right color. The whiskey is also aged slightly in oak chips.
3. Catdaddy distilled by Piedmont Distillers, Inc. in Madison, North Carolina. This whiskey is made from 100% corn and is triple distilled in copper pot stills with a few secret ingredients added.
4. Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon, also from Piedmont Distillers, Inc. is again triple distilled in copper pot stills, but containing neutral grain spirits.
5. Platte Valley Corn Whiskey distilled by McCormick Distilling and is 100% straight corn whiskey distilled in Illinois and aged for three years.

We tasted each whiskey neat, then added a little water to dampen the alcohol. Overall, there were some interesting products - but the overall favorite was clearly the Platte Valley Corn Whiskey. Maybe it was the aging three years - but this corn whiskey is extremely smooth with little burn even before adding water. It has the sweet corn aroma and flavor expected from corn whiskey and a smooth - smooth finish. The Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon was close, but this moonshine is more characteristic of a vodka. It was also extremely smooth - but didn't possess much aroma or flavor - probably a good candidate for a mixing. It's sibling, Catdaddy, was very interesting. Its spicy character resembled the botanicals in gin; it also reminded us a little of something more suited to Christmas time. Interesting - but not a corn whiskey we'd want to sip after a hard day at work. The Virginia Lightening took a little work to bring forth its true flavors. While drinking neat, the whiskey produces a major burn, which camouflages all sensations. However, by dousing with a few drops of water, the sweet corn aromas and flavor appear and it turns into a nice, drinkable whiskey. Knowing his secret makes it worth supporting a local producer. Finally, the Mountain Moonshine just wasn't so good. Even after adding water, the whiskey produced a healthy burn - surprising considering the oak chips and grain composition. We will be using this one in Bloody Marys.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Spirits

Most people are aware of the unique and savory beers produced by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery at their Milton Delaware location, but you may not be aware that they distill a line of spirits at their Rehoboth Beach Dogfish Head Distillery. We first learned of this fact during our research on American Rum Distillers. Currently they produce three styles of rum: Brown Honey Rum, Wit Spiced Rhum, and a Dark Rum. The Brown Honey Rum is double-distilled, and then aged in American oak with Wildflower Honey. The Wit Spiced Rhum is triple-distilled and aged with Curacao orange peel and coriander. The Dark Rum is the same as the Brown Honey rum, just not aged with honey.

But rum isn't the only game in town. they also distill a Gin clone, the Dogfish Jin, distilled with several botanicals including pineapple mint, juniper berry, green peppercorn and rosemary. And then there's the vodka. The flagship is the Blue Hen Vodka which is quadruple distilled and then charcoal filtered. For those who like infused varieties, the vodka is also distilled with vanilla, Belgium dark chocolate, blood oranges, mango and even pomegranate.

At the brewpub, customers can sample four combinations so we choose the gin, vodka and two rums, the Brown Honey Rum and the Dark Rum. The latter was not very impressive and actually rather harsh. It didn't have much aroma and the harshness overwhelmed any ability to taste the distilled molasses. The Brown Honey Rum was tamer and I liked the honey finish; but just a little too sweet for my tastes. However, it is a far superior product than the Wild Turkey Honey Bourbon. The best surprises, however, were the gin and vodka. I normally do not care for gin, but the Dogfish Jin displays a nice balance between the spirit and the botanicals. Sometimes the spices overwhelm the product, but not here - this was nicely done. My favorite, however, was the Blue Hen Vodka. This is money. Its extremely smooth - barely any burn. After dampening a little with a couple drops of water, a nice aroma arose and the taste became sweeter and even smoother. I'd have to say this version is on par with the Cold River Vodka from Maine Distilleries. No wonder the guy at the Dewey Beach liquor store said he couldn't keep this in stock. And next time you travel to the brewpub to drink some Midas Touch or Raison D'Etre - remember - there's also an array of spirits available.

The Birth of a Maker's Mark Barrel

We recently received a letter notifying us that our our newborn Marker's Mark barrel has finally arrived. That is, the distillery has filled a charred American white oak barrel with their signature whiskey plated with the WineCompass name and is gently resting in a warehouse. This is a benefit for joining the Marker's Mark Ambassador program. By joining this program participants receive their name on a Maker’s Mark barrel; an opportunity to purchase a bottle of Maker’s Mark from your batch; updates on the aging of your bourbon; advanced notice of rare, special-release bottles; and invitations to special Ambassadors-only Maker’s Mark tasting events. Sadly, we couldn't attend the last one scheduled in Washington D.C. In return, participants do all they can to promote the Maker's Mark brand. Hence, this post.

So what makes Maker's Mark any different then the dozens of premium bourbons on the market. It starts with the ingredients. In order to be labeled bourbon, the whiskey must derive from at least 51% corn; the rest is usually barley and rye. Maker's Mark uses yellow corn from specially selected small farm cooperatives to ensure only the highest quality corn. Instead of rye, the distillery uses red winter wheat which produces a gentler taste. This mash is then fermented by a special yeast strain that has been in the Samuels family for six generations.

After fermentation, the whiskey is placed in a new charred American white oak barrel and sent to a warehouse where it sits still for a number of years. At bottling a distillery then collects samples from various portions of the warehouse to add to each bottle. This is because the bourbon ages differently depending on its location. Instead of following this process, Maker's Mark rotates the barrels. Possibly the only distillery to do so. According to the distillery, "all our barrels start at the top of the warehouse where they are exposed to the greatest temperature extremes. Hot Kentucky summers cause the whisky to expand into the wood. Cold winters cause the whisky to contract back out of the wood. This is what allows the whisky to absorb the wonderful flavors from the wood. When ready, (around three years) each barrel is moved to a lower part of the warehouse to continue its maturation process in a less extreme fashion." That's why we like this bourbon. Add in the trademark red wax and you have your bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon.

When will be able to see our "baby" barrel? Well, online or a taking a trip to their Loretto, Kentucky facility. When will we be able to taste the aging bourbon? In 6 or 7 years. I hope we don't forget about the barrel during this process.

Leblon Cachaça

While spending time in south Florida, we haven't drunken much wine, and as for beer, PBR and Schlitz seem to be the most satisfying while under the sun. But what we can't restock quickly enough is Leblon Cachaça. We had received a sample a few months ago and never opened under now. What a waste. This Cachaça is fine on the rocks and a perfect in a Caipirinha. Move over Mohitos.

According to their website, "Leblon, is distilled at a state-of-the-art distillery, Maison Leblon, in the fertile Minas Gerais region. Gilles Merlet, the master distiller, approaches the fermentation, distillation, and finishing of Cachaça like a fine wine. Using techniques from his native land of France, Gilles manages every detail of the creation - from the hand-selection of the cane and his proprietary fermentation approach, to the Alambique batch-distillation and light-casking, triple-filtering, and master-blending. Gilles rests the final distillate in XO Cognac casks from France, giving Leblon an extra-special touch. As a result, Leblon Cachaça has a delicate, fruity nose, combined with an ultra smooth finish."

We have tasted several excellent cachaças over the past two years and Leblon is easily the best. Don't trust our opinion? For the past 4 years, Leblon has been awarded gold medals at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; a first for any cachaça. Now that's quality.

Maker's Mark Ambassador

I have been drinking Maker's Mark for a number of years now, and a few months back I signed up for their Ambassador program. As an Ambassador, you receive a number of benefits in return for promoting the bourbon to others. The coolest benefit is having your name posted on a barrel and then having the ability to taste and purchase the bourbon when it reaches maturity. The Maker's Mark Ambassador Web site also includes links to stories about the distillery; the Samuels family; special events; and, of course, the status of your barrel.

Now, Maker's Mark is quite unique from other bourbons and not just from their trademarked red wax seal. The bourbon consists of iron-free limestone water from a neighboring spring fed lake. The distillery does not use rye, which they feel leaves too much bitterness on the tongue and instead uses locally grown red winter wheat in conjunction with the corn. They feel this combination provides a smoother flavor, plus the grains are softly crushed with an antique roller mill which doesn't scorch the grain. The final ingredient, the yeast, is a special strain developed by the Samuel family and produced directly at the distiller. The mash is distilled twice, first in an all-copper column still at 120 proof, and then a second time in a copper pot still at 130 proof. This low distillation proof preserves the natural flavor of the corn and wheat. Then, after the spirit is stored in white oak barrels, these barrels are rotated within the warehouse in order to help create a consistent flavor.

So that's the story why Maker's Mark differs from other bourbons. We will continue to post on the status of our barrel as we sip it from our red wax dipped glass.

A. Smith Bowman Distillery

Fresh off our research of American Rum Distillers, we decided to pay a visit to a local craft bourbon distiller, A. Smith Bowman Distillery. Yes, it is entirely accurate to question designating this distillery as a micro-distillery - but after several years of producing large scale export driven products, A. Smith Bowman is returning to its roots.

That started over 70 years ago when Abram Smith Bowman and his sons, Smith and DeLong, began making bourbon at the family Sunset Hills Farm in Wiehle, Virginia. The distillery itself was situated in a building constructed in 1892, which served as the town hall for Wiehle, as well as a church. For the next 50 years the distillery produced their trademark Virginia Gentleman® at this location. During that time the Bowman family sold most of their estate to Robert E. Simon, who used proceeds from selling Carnegie Hall to created the planned community of Reston. As the area became more urbanized from this development, in 1988 the distillery moved south to Fredericksburg, where it still operates today. In its infinite wisdom Fairfax County bulldozed several historic structures associated with the historic distillery and the original Bowman house and distillery are now threatened as developers seek to build homes and condominiums on the property. The county has little respect for history when money is involved.

Meanwhile in Fredericksburg, the A. Smith Bowman Distillery was eventually purchased by the Sazerac Company, who also owns the Buffalo Trace Distillery and the Old Rip Van Winkle, Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee, and other well known brands. The Bowman brand had expanded to include vodka, rum, gin, and other products and the Bowman name became more associated with these spirits instead of the old Virginia Gentleman® brand. This brand had actually expanded to include the Virginia Gentleman® 90 Proof Small Batch Bourbon which was awarded a double gold medal and named Best American Whiskey at the 2003 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This tradition of excellence continued at this year's competition as the 90 Proof Small Batch Bourbon also earned a double gold medal. The master distiller who crafts this award winning spirit, Joe Dangler, agreed to host a tour of their facility for me.

Mr. Dangler has worked for the A. Smith Bowman Distillery for over 30 years, starting in Reston and relocating to Fredericksburg with the distillery. He was originally hired as a line foreman and over the course of his career emerged as the distillery's master distiller. No formal education - just on the job training. At the Fredericksburg facility, bourbon is the only spirit created and the product line consists of three brands: Bowman Bourbon, Virginia Gentleman® and Virginia Gentleman® 90 Proof Small Batch Bourbon. Each brand is made from the original Virginia Gentleman® recipe, the only difference is the dilution and length of aging. In order to benefit from economies of scale, the mash and first distillation occur at the parent's Buffalo Trace Distillery. The corn whiskey is then transported to Fredericksburg where it undergoes a second distillation in a copper still and chilled filtered. The bourbon is then aged in new casks in a warehouse palette system that was designed to use labor efficiently and allow for ample ventilation to control temperature. The Virginia Gentleman® 90 Proof Small Batch Bourbon is aged for six years whereas the other two brands are aged between 3 1/2 to 4 years.

The warehouse smells amazing - think of the sweet corn aroma of bourbon. I asked Mr. Dangler if he ever gets tired of the smell and he informed me "no" and his nose has been trained to notice any off-odors. A semi-quality control mechanism. There's no tasting at the facility, but instead I was given access to view the the warehouse, distillation room, and bottling system. Besides the row after row of aging bourbon, the copper still was the most impressive piece - a fine piece of craftsmanship. The distillery also possesses antique scales used by the Feds to calculate taxes as well as several antique barrel making tools. Very soon the distillery hopes to showcase these items in a new visitor center. This center will also include displays on the history of the Bowman family, the distillery, and the city of Fredericksburg. We look forward to that development. In the meanwhile the Virginia Gentleman® 90 Proof Small Batch Bourbon has replaced Ancient Age and Wild Turkey 101 as our everyday bourbon. Retailing between $20-$25, this double gold winner is a bargain. It has a honey aroma that intensifies after adding a couple drops of water to the glass. At 90 proof there's an initial alcohol burn - but it quickly dissipates to a sweet nutmeg\vanilla tail. Yes, some days its worth to splurge on a Black Maple Hill or a Pappy Van Winkle - but for a steady, everyday brand - the Virginia Gentleman® 90 Proof Small Batch Bourbon is the king.

American Rum Distillers

While viewing the results of the 2008 International Rum Competition, sponsored by Polished Palate, I was quite surprised to notice that several American companies were awarded medals. I was under the misguided, but probably common belief, that rum wasn’t produced in North America. Upon further research I learned that in fact, there are over a dozen micro-distilleries in the United States crafting several styles of rum from sugar cane.

The history of rum is closely aligned to the history of the Americas. See And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails by Wayne Curtis. In brief, Christopher Columbus introduced sugar cane into the West Indies from cuttings he obtained from the Canary Islands. Sugar production became integrated with the slave trade and it was plantation slaves who first discovered that molasses - the bi-product of sugar cane refinery - could be fermented into alcohol. In some cases, rum is also produced from fermenting pressed sugar cane as is the case in most French speaking Caribbean islands. Eventually the actual production of rum moved to colonial New England, with its abundant supply of skilled artisans (metalworking and cooperage). The rum trade was so vital to the colonial economy that the introduction of the Sugar Act in 1764 was one factor that sparked the American Revolution. However, over the next century grain became cheaper than molasses and simultaneously consumer’s tastes drifted towards grain spirits and beer. In the 20th century, the consumption of rum received an unexpected boost from Prohibition. Consumers headed to Cuba in search of sun and alcohol and discovered Bacardi while at the same time rum runners competed with Canadian whiskeys to supply the underground economy. Today there is a renaissance in the rum market as the versatility of the spirit is displayed in multiple white, dark, spiced, and aged styles. Rum is no longer just an ingredient in daiquiris and mohitos.

There are currently over a dozen American micro distillers producing rum from some form of sugar cane. And in most instances, these craft distillers use only local ingredients – including domestic molasses. The most logical place to start is Hawaii – where sugar cane flourishes as in the Caribbean. On Maui, Braddah Kimo operates Haleakala Distillers - the only licensed distillery operating on the island. Mr. Kimo is a skilled artisan. Not only is he the master distiller, but he also built the entire distilling facility himself. His rum is made using fermented Hawaiian molasses diluted with Maui rainwater, double distilled, and then aged in used Bourbon casks. Haleakala Distillers offers several styles and the Braddah Kimo's Extreme 155 Rum and Maui Dark Rum were awarded silver medals at the 2008 International Rum Competition.

Hawaiian molasses is also distilled on the mainland. Dave Classick - both Sr, and Jr. - use an Alambic Pot Still to distill fermented molasses into rum. Their distillery, Essential Spirits Alambic Distillery, located outside of San Francisco in Mountain View, sells two styles of rum, a Silver and a Gold. Further north in Napa, Charbay Winery & Distillery triple-distills Hawaiian sugar cane syrup in their Alambic Pot Still. They also sell two styles of rum, the platinum Tropical Island’s Cane Rum and the Tahitian Vanilla Bean Rum. The later is “made with our distillers' own extraction of pure beans.”

Elsewhere in the United States, Louisiana is the most likely source of molasses. New Orlean’s Celebration Distillation won several awards at the 2008 International Rum Competition, a gold for their Old New Orleans Crystal Rum, a silver for their Old New Orleans Amber Rum, and a bronze for their Old New Orleans 10 Year Old Rum. As expected the company uses Louisiana grown molasses and then ages the rum in used bourbon casks. Celebration Distillation also uses a custom made distilling system that is a combination of a pot still and column still.

The first legal post-Prohibition distillery to open in Tennessee is best known - not for sour mash whiskey - but for their rum. Prichards' Distillery makes several styles of rum, but the best selling is the Prichards’ Fine Rum. This spirit is made from Louisiana molasses distilled in a copper pot still and then aged in new charred white oak barrels. Their white Crystal Rum is made from the same molasses distilled five times in the copper pot stills. A couple other distilleries that use Louisiana molasses are Triple Eight Distillery (Nantucket) and Tuthilltown Spirits (New York). Another New England rum maker, Newport Distilling Company (Rhode Island), found a different source: Westway Feed in Chicago. Each of these companies age the rum in American oak to create three separate brands: Hurricane Rum, Hudson River Rum, and Thomas Tew Rum.

Both Graham Barnes Distilling and Railean Distillers proudly state that they use only Texas ingredients in their rum. Graham Barnes uses molasses made from Rio Grande Valley sugarcane and a proprietary process that removes several insoluble particles before fermenting. After fermentation, the liquid is distilled using reflux column stills, then blended with filtered Hill Country water, and then double filtered through activated carbon. The finished product is their Treaty Oak Platinum Rum. Railean Distillers is located near Galveston Bay in San Leon – once home to Jean Lafitte and an assortment of other pirates, sailors, and fishermen. The Railean family distills the Texas cane molasses using a Bavarian Holstein copper pot still that the distillery believes creates an” ultra-pure cane spirit”. The Railean White Rum is bottled after diluting with water whereas the Railean Reserve XO is aged in new charred American Oak casks. No used bourbon barrels here. These rums were also entered into the 2008 International Rum Competition and received a silver and bronze respectively.

In the Pacific Northwest, rum is created from an unorthodox source: brown cane sugar. Bardenay Distillery in Boise, Idaho prefers the brown cane sugar since there is more molasses in brown sugar than in processed white sugar. This means that the sugar has a higher mineral composition – basically more nutrients for the yeast to feast on. An added benefit is that the rum is distilled directly inside their restaurant providing a sweet aroma for their patrons. Rogue Distillery and Public House in Portland Oregon follows a similar approach - distilling fermented brown cane sugar.

There are several other rum distillers producing small batch rum not mentioned in more detail. Like those listed above, these craft distillers deserve a look from any interested party. There’s Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Delaware), Forks of Cheat Winery (West Virginia), New Holland Brewing Company (Michigan), Penobscot Bay Distillery & Brewery (Maine), Charbay Winery & Distillery (California), and Temptryst (Texas). In fact, Temptryst was the most highly awarded distillery at the 2008 International Rum Competition. It will be interesting to view the next few year's results to see if American rum distillers can continue to compete with the traditional sources in the Caribbean and Americas. Or was this just a one-time chance occurrence?

Washington D.C. Wine & Food Festival - Spirits

In our never ending quest for new and exotic spirits, the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival delivered brilliantly with two spirits from neighboring South American countries. From Peru, we discovered pisco, a brandy made from grapes. If you've never heard of this spirit, don't be disappointed, Pisco Ku is the first pisco sold in the United States and has only been available for the past three weeks. This brandy is made from a blend of several indigenous grapes which means its made in the Acholado (Half-breed) style. Pisco made from a single grape variety is called Pure, whereas pisco made from the muscat grape is called Aromatic. Ten pounds of grapes are used to make a single bottle. The Pisco Ku is similar to grappa but without the tannic finish. That is because only the grape must is fermented; the stems and skins which are included in Italian and Chilean grappa must are removed. The result - a spirit that is extremely smooth like a good Vodka, but with a slight grapey flavor similar to grappa. Another interested note about pisco is that by Peruvian law, pisco must be made to proof in a single distillation - i.e. the fermenting grape juice must be distilled exactly at 40 proof the first time - no second or third distillations are permitted.Plus no additives may be added to the pisco that could alter its flavor, odor, appearance or, of course, alcoholic proof. Pisco Ku is marketing their brand as an alternative to Vodka - suggesting it as a mixer with orange juice, cranberry juice, or lemons. I think it's perfect neat or I plan to try it how I like my grappa, adding it to an espresso.




The second discovery comes from neighboring Ecuador and is a brand of rum: Zhumir Seco Soave and Zhumir Aguardiente. Each brand is made from a different rum making style. The Seco Soave is made in the traditional fashion, by turning the sugar cane into molasses and then distilling the syrup. The Aguardiente is made by distilling the sugar cane juice directly and reminded me a little of cachaca. Even though neither are aged in wood - they are smooth and ready for sipping. The most popular brand on Saturday was their pre-mixed Zhumir Pina Colada and on Sunday their flavored Zhumir Limon - the Aguardiente mixed with lime juice. We went a step further with a few daring souls and mixed the Pina Colada with the neighboring Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur Liquor that we discovered in south beach the previous weekend. Now that was a cocktail.

The next step is to determine if these brands are the best spirits Peru and Ecuador have to offer........possibly the Zhumir Reposado Reserva Especial or Zhumir Reposado.