Open Road Distilling Opens in Reston

We've been trying to make the rounds visiting Mid-Atlantic distilleries and ventured to the closest to us -- Open Road Distilling in the Reston Town Center, Virginia. The establishment is part of a restaurant group and this location fields a tremendous restaurant and bar that is worth visiting just for the entrées. While developing cocktails for their bar and speakeasy-influenced concepts, they decided to develop a range of spirits which lead to the operational distillery, tasting room, and bonded store. Currently they have four expressions: in-house distilled American Vodka and American Gin as well as in-house blended Eagle Eye Rye and Independence Bourbon. 

Eagle Eye Rye ($34.99)
This whiskey is a blend of various casks obtained from distilleries across the U.S. - including MGP. This slightly spicy and approachable whiskey begs for a flask to enjoy in outlawing style.  

Independence Bourbon ($34.99)
The Bourbon is a blend of bourbons sourced from four distilleries within the United States and aged together after blending.  A pleasant firepit sipper with baking spices and soft tannins. 

American Vodka ($19.99)
This spirit begins as corn-based neutral spirit which is combined with pure water and then distilled in their traditional pot still. This is a very suitable vodka for all your bar needs. 

American Gin ($23.99)
This gin is crafted by first soaking botanical herbs (Juniper, Coriander, Angelica, Bitter Orange, Citron) in neutral spirits overnight, then distilled over a slowly increasing heat source . There is a nice balance between the London Dry profile and an American profile where the juniper and citrus are intertwined. 

Avery Island & TABASCO®: Where Bourbon Barrels Find Rest

"TABASCO® Brand products are made by McIlhenny Company, founded by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana. It was here that he developed the recipe for TABASCO® Original Red Pepper Sauce that's been passed down from generation to generation. To this day, the company is still family-owned and -operated on that very same island". -- TABASCO® Brand Website

During this trip to Cajun Country we allocated time to visit the TABASCO® Brand Factory Tour & Museum, located southwest of New Iberia on Avery Island. This is not an island in the traditional sense. Instead it is one of five salt domes formed as the weight of younger sediment pushed up a column of salt deposited over 165 million years ago creating a topographic rise. Locally, the geological formation is known as “island” because of its height relative to the neighboring land and insular appearance from a distance.  The five islands are also surrounded by salt marshes, cypress swamps, and\or bayous. Over the last two centuries these island have served as wildlife sanctuaries as well as salt and petroleum fields. Not without mishaps. During a visit to Jefferson Island and their gardens we learned of the Lake Peigneur catastrophe. 

Before the Civil War, Hagerstown Maryland born Edmund McIlhenny was a successful and wealthy independent bank owner married to Mary Eliza Avery -- who's family lived on a plantation house on Avery Island. By the end of the war and with the South's economic collapse, McIlhenny had lost everything. He and Mary Eliza moved in with her parents on Avery Island where McIlhenny started experimenting with Capsicum frutescens -- now known as Tabasco peppers. His goal was to invigorate the bland southern cuisine with a new pepper sauce.  

"McIlhenny grew his first commercial pepper crop in 1868. The next year, he sent out 658 bottles of sauce at one dollar apiece wholesale to grocers around the Gulf Coast, particularly in New Orleans. He labeled it “Tabasco,” a word of Mexican Indian origin believed to mean “place where the soil is humid” or “place of the coral or oyster shell.” McIlhenny secured a patent in 1870, and TABASCO® Sauce began its journey to set the culinary world on fire. Sales grew, and by the late 1870s, he sold his sauce throughout the U.S. and even in Europe".

While today the production process is mostly automated and the peppers are grown worldwide , the recipe and process are relatively the same as in the early years. Only the oak aging takes a little longer. The peppers are crushed and the mash is stored for three years in white oak barrels (which previously held bourbon or whiskies).  The inside of each barrel is de-charred (top layer of wood is removed), torched, and cleaned, to minimize the presence of any residual whiskey. In addition, the barrels are rehooped with stainless steel rings.. Once closed, the barrel tops are then sealed with salt to form a natural protective barrier that also allows for the release of gases produced during the slow fermentation process. After three years the mash is mixed with distilled vinegar and stirred occasionally for a month. The resulting liquid is strained to remove skins and seeds and then bottled as a finished sauce. 

The McIlhenny Company produced only the original version up until 1993, when the company released the Green Pepper Sauce. Today they have nine varieties, all conveniently available for purchase at the TABASCO® Country Store.  This store is located next to the museum entrance where the self-guided walking factory tour begins.  The entire Avery Island Experience which includes the factory tour and Jungle Gardens & Bird City driving tour is highly recommended. 

From District Made to the Amalfi Coast in D.C.'s Ivy City

After a visit to the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America we decided to visit a couple of distilleries in nearby Ivy City starting with District Made Spirits. For those familiar with the D.C. spirits scene, two weeks ago this distillery was known as One Eight Distilling. But owners, Andy Wood and Alex Lauffer, now want to emphasize, not only their location in Washington D.C., but also their use of regional grains grown in Maryland and Virginia.  I chose a flight of their Core Spirits featuring their Ivy City Gin, Straight Rye Whiskey, and Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 

The Gin uses the District Made Vodka ($30) mash bill of 66% Abruzzi Rye,  28% Corn, and 6% Malted Rye which is then steeped with ten botanicals. These include Appalachian Allspice and Grains of Paradise for aromatics and a lower juniper profile. And from what I can glean, Abruzzi Rye is a cultivar that has higher yields than other rye varieties.  The District Made Ivy City Gin ($35) immediately brought thoughts of Negronis. Interestingly, we decided on purchasing a bottle of the vodka after a sample (1) because we didn't have any at home and (2) it contains noticeable creamy flavor.

The two whiskeys were also quite solid with the District Made Straight Rye Whiskey ($50) containing a little more malted rye than the gin and vodka with a mash bill of 57% Abruzzi Rye, 14% Corn, and 29% Malted Rye. This reminded me of Pennsylvania ryes, not a spice bomb, but reasonable levels of honeyed cinnamon and spice. I slightly preferred this over the District Made Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($50) which has a very unique recipe of 58% Corn, 16% Abruzzi Rye, 12% Malted Rye, 8% Hard Red Winter Wheat,  and 6% Malted Barley. Interestingly, the grains are distilled and aged in two batches, one with higher percentages of winter wheat and the other a higher percentage of rye. The final bottling uses a mixture of the different barrels. 

Our original destination for the day, Don Ciccio & Figli, is located directly across the street from District Made. This distillery has been operating in the District for over ten years, starting in 2012 and moving to the larger location in Ivy City in 2019. Providentially, owner Francesco Amodeo was manning the Bar Sirenis on our arrival and walked us through their history and a 17 Italian Herbal Liqueur and Cordial tasting kit. 

Amodeo was inspired to open the distillery based on a family heritage of distilling liqueurs on the Amalfi Coast. This tradition began in 1883 when Vincenzo Amodeo started creating liqueurs and devising a large collection of recipes.  The Amodeo family crafted these liqueurs up onto World War II when the stills were closed and the recipes locked away in order to rebuild the country. In 1951, Francesco Amodeo's grandfather Francesco, or Don Ciccio, resurrected the family tradition by building a distillery in the hills of Furore, near Positano and Capri. "The liqueurs are reborn, crafted exactly as they had been until 1931". Sadly, in 1980 an earthquake completely destroyed the distillery to rubble and it wasn't until 2012, in America, that the Amodeo family liqueurs were resurrected a second time. 

Today the distillery offers a plethora of herbal liqueurs, cordials, vermouths, spirits, and bottled cocktails. When you visit here some words of advice. (1) Do not order an Aperol Spritz. You will have your hand slapped. Bar Sirenis only serves cocktails using ingredients produced at the distillery. Instead, order an Ambrosia Spritz made using the Ambrosia Aperitivo -- a bittersweet Italian herbal liqueur made with turmeric, blood orange, cantaloupe, carrots and 9 botanicals. (2) Order the tasting tray. This provides a complete overview of their herbal liqueurs and cordials. 

Three of my favorite herbal liqueurs were the Amaro Delle Sirene (1931 recipe), Amaro Don Fernet (1915 recipe), and Cerasum Aperitivo (1906 recipe). They are all dispersed along the bitterness barometer and like all the products they start with 190 proof neutral grain spirits that is then macerated at room temperature with the respective recipe and then proofed down using purified water . The Fernet is made using 25 roots and herb focusing on mint, dark chocolate, ginger and saffron. The amaro then rests for 12 months in 250-liter French oak barrels provided by the Marisa Cuomo Winery on the Amalfi Coast. The Delle Sirene is made using 30 roots and herbs highlighting eucalyptus, ripe fruit and licorice. The amaro is also aged for one year using the same barrels. Finally the Cerasum is based on an infusion of 3 different kinds of cherries, sakura blossoms and 10 selected roots and herbs. We've already used this in a spritz and will be using in a Negroni at a later date - and its also excellent on its own. Saluti.

Innovative Finishing and Best Small Batch Bourbon at Filibuster Distillery

I've planned to visit more distilleries in 2023 and Filibuster Distillery has been on my list for quite some time - ever since a tasting with Mr. Dilawri several years ago.  And with the distillery located in the Shenandoah Valley between Strasburg and Woodstock, there are several other craft beverage establishments and small towns to explore before or after the visit.  Filibuster leverages the limestone-filtered water that is prevalent in the valley and this water has a higher ratio of beneficial minerals than Kentucky limestone-filtered water. They also use a combination of native and cultured yeast as well as a pot and column still, all depending on the targeted spirit.

It was a quiet day on my visit and I had the full attention of the tasting room staff to learn about their innovative approach to using various used casks and the 2023 World Whisky Awards “Best Small Batch” Bourbon from outside of Kentucky: Bottled in Bond. This is a long way from the MGPI Rye that I first tasted long ago.   In fact, the distillery sources all of its corn, rye, and barley from neighboring Shenandoah Valley farms.  I chose the Premium Flight so that I could sample the Bottled in Bond and also two out of the limited-release Triple Cask series. 

Bottled In Bond is a Federal designation encapsulated in the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 -- introduced to ensure that whiskey producers were making their whiskey at a certain quality level and standard suitable for the public. Before the regulation, distillers would add additives and even spit chewing tobacco to color the spirit and add oak aging characteristics. In order to be labeled as bottled-in-bond or bonded, the product must be (1) made at a single distillery, (2) produced within a single distilling season, (3) aged for a minimum of four years at a federally bonded warehouse, and (4) bottled at 50% ABV. The Filibuster Bottled in Bond Bourbon Whiskey ($79.99) was created following these rules and shows a little heat at that proof, but a couple drops of water dampen the alcohol and lift the honeyed orange aromas. The palate and finish carry smoked caramel and little candied nuts. 

I also chose the Triple Cask Finished In Madeira Barrels ($79.99) and Triple Cask Finished In Sherry Barrels ($79.99) which both utilize a 6- year-old high Rye bourbon from MGPI and a 5-year-old Sweet Mash Filibuster Straight Bourbon as a base before finishing in the respective cask for 11 months.   Both also weigh in between 114 to 117 proof but show less heat than the 100 proof Bottled in Bond. That being said, a couple drops of water still tames any lingering alcohol and elevates the nose with what one would expect from a Madeira or Sherry. Lots of dried fruit, nuts, figs, and some caramel and honey. Both are very savory.

I was also invited to sample the Filibuster Dual Cask Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($48.99), which was the inspiration for the Triple Cask, but made at a slightly more approachable proof and a more approachable price point. The mash bill consists of 70% sweet corn, 20% rye, and 10% barley aged less than four years in American oak. The whiskey is then finished in used French wine barrels - I believe once filled with Chardonnay. The result is vanilla, caramel, and baking spices on the nose with the caramel remaining through the finish.  Expect some cherry cola, banana,  and candied apricots. Any heat dissipates rather quickly. 

Grain to Glass at America's First Craft Distillery: Belmont Farm Distillery

I've passed the Culpeper exit for Belmont Farm Distillery dozens upon dozens of times over the last 25 years and finally detoured off Route 29 this past weekend. I have consumed several of their spirits during this period, like their flagship Virginia Lightning -> the 100-proof corn whiskey based on a family recipe that inspired Chuck Miller to open the distillery in 1988 and become "America's First Craft Distillery." Miller was also adamant about using a 3000-gallon copper pot still (constructed in 1933) to distill the mash and a doubler where the spirit was further distilled to increase the proof.   When he registered the distillery with the state, they received License #1 and eventually the first waiver to operate as a limited ABC store (as a farm distillery).  

Over time they released a 100% corn Kopper Kettle Vodka, which is also a regular fixture behind our bar. But on this visit, I learned more about their Kopper Kettle grains whiskies as well as a more approachable Virginia Lightning Moonshine. My flight of four whiskies started with this moonshine, which is produced by distilling the Virginia Lightning once again and cutting to 90-proof. Definitely an easier sipper. However, I learned several interesting ideas regarding infusing the original Virginia Lightning (vanilla and pineapple were two options) and it will remain my moonshine preference.

The other three whiskies in the flight were grain based starting with the American Single Malt Whiskey ($34.99) made with 100% malted barley and triple distilled in the 3,000-gallon copper pot still and cut to 86-proof using farm-purified mineral water. This is a very flavorful and approachable whiskey with vanilla and honey aromas complemented by coffee and raisins, toasted honey, and a slight semblance of smoke. 

While sipping on the Virginia Bonded Whiskey ($34.99) sample, I learned that Belmont Farm operates entirely within house, which means malting the grain, fermentation and distilling, and finally bottling and labeling.  This spirit starts as a three-grain whiskey that is soaked for two months with charred Virginia white oak and Virginia apple wood, before aging for four years in American oak barrels.  The Bonded on the label guarantees that the product (1) was made at a single distillery, (2) produced within a single distilling season, (3) aged for a minimum of four years at a federally bonded warehouse, and (4) bottled at 50% ABV.  This is an interesting whiskey with the nose stronger than the body, but then elevated again at the tail.  The final whiskey was the Kopper Kettle Rye Whiskey ($46.99), which, unfortunately, I didn't take notes on. It was decent, but not overly remarkable like the previous two offerings. 

I didn't even get into moonshiner Tim Smith's Climax Moonshine label as I wanted to focus solely on Belmont Farm's portfolio and their claim to being America's First Craft Distillery. The Moonshiners series has brought more attention to the distillery and hopefully, the distillery can cope with the additional production and visitors. Looking forward to returning during one of the Bourbon, Bluegrass, and BBQ festivals this summer. Cheers. 

Craft Beer and Whiskey at the Battery and Truist Park

We leveraged our annual Washington Nationals road trip to see the Nats play the Braves and found several excellent craft beverage options in the Battery complex and within Truist Park itself.  The stadium opened in 2017 succeeding Turner Field and the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The Battery is an entertainment district that surrounds the ballpark and includes a mix of shops, dining, living, and workspace - plus a brewery and distillery. 

Terrapin Beer Company is one of the oldest breweries in Georgia and has well-established name recognition throughout the U.S.   Their ATL Brew Lab opened in the Battery along with Truist Park and has entrances just outside and inside the ballpark.  As a brewpub, they partnered with Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q to provide excellent bbq to complement the brewery's large beer portfolio. Any new visitor must start with the flagship Rye Pale Ale which was first introduced in 2002 at the brewery's inception. This is still one of my favorites and pairs nicely with brisket. The Dugout Keller Pils is also a flavorful option and cleanses the palate to start anew. Finally, the Expresso Martini Imperial White Stout was a solid offering to cap the post-game festivities. Inside the stadium, the Los Bravos Mexican Lager is available with most vendors and at the Terrapin bar - which also poured a couple IPAs and the Watermelon Gose. Hit this bar before proceeding to the Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q stand in center field.

ASW Distillery operates three locations in Atlanta, with a tasting room located steps away from Truist Park providing flights as well as cocktails to Braves fans and visitors. This distillery combines the unique history of three distilling families to combine traditional, Scottish-style double copper pot distillation, with innovative, Southern-style grain-in distillation, to consider themselves Southern Pot-Still Pioneers. The whiskeys in my flight were particularly interesting with the overall favorite being the Resurgens Rye -- a revival of the Appalachian-style ryes of the past made from 100% malted rye (rather than unmalted rye and corn). Expect chocolate and a smooth finish.  

The rest of the flight featured several interesting whiskeys. The Duality Double Malt is truly unique in that it is the world’s first whiskey of its kind: fermenting two malted grains - barley & rye - fermented together in the same vessel before being distilled together and maturing in charred oak casks. A complex spirit. ASW also offers a Fiddler Bourbon series that "showcase interesting whiskies from across the country that they 'fiddle with' to create new flavor profiles". The Fiddler Unison Bourbon "marries a foraged high-wheat bourbon, with our own in-house, high-malt bourbon that we distilled by hand on our traditional, double copper pot stills".  And the Fiddler Heartwood Bourbon "begins with the same foraged high-wheat mash bill as Fiddler Unison Bourbon. We then finish it on hand-harvested, charred Georgia white oak heartwood staves that we hand-charred and placed in the barrels for the final few months of maturation".  A failed in keeping tasting notes, but remember being highly satisfied with both. Until our next trip to the Battery, cheers. 

RTD Cocktails Profile: Post Meridiem

We've learned from the highly successful Rendezvous: An In-depth Look at RTD Cocktails campaign that RTDs come in flavors, percent alcohol, and size. One brand that has stood out despite its diminutive size is Post Meridiem Spirits, a producer from Atlanta, Georgia. Their RTDs are intended to directly correlate to a craft cocktail so each can is 100ml in size and equates to a standard cocktail pour. In addition, these rugged - yet artistic cans - are encased in a steel wall, encouraging their portability for hikes, picnics, beach visits, and foreign travel. Post Meridiem also provides transparency regarding the ingredients - proudly displaying the cocktail recipe directly underneath the cocktail name. And finally, these are not low alcohol crushable RTDs, these are true cocktails with the alcohol content reflecting what would normally be expected in the targeted recipe.

Our influencers received a combination of four cocktails: The Modern Classic Cosmopolitan, The Double Old Fashioned, The Real Lime Juice Margarita, and The London Dry Southside. Their favorites varied but all appreciated the portability, transparency, and quality of each cocktail recipe. Here are some of the Instagram posts from the participants.

DenJenEats

Princess Nohelani

Jessica

Let Her Drink Wine

WineCompass

Old Dominick Distillery & the Memphis Toddy

Not far from Beale Strait resides the first post-prohibition distillery in Memphis: Old Dominick Distillery. The distillery is the culmination of a very successful business started by Italian immigrant Domenico Canale. He arrived in Memphis in 1859 and started by running a fruit cart along the streets of Memphis. In 1866, "Canale formally establishes food wholesaler D. Canale & Co., and sets up operations in a warehouse at 8 Madison St. near Front. Among its offering is a whiskey, sold in ceramic jars and bottles, that Canale named Old Dominick". In 1880, "Canale developed the Dominick Toddy, a bourbon-based cordial with fruity overtones that must have spoken to the former fruit stand operator. It was described as the 'one of which we are the proudest' and its label featured the now iconic Dominicker Rooster." Throughout the 1900s, the business expanded under the leadership of Canale's children and grandchildren. In 1999, after 125 years of continuous operation, D. Canale Food Services is sold. 

In 2013, "following the surprise discovery of an unopened bottle of Old Dominick Toddy from the late 1800s, Chris and Alex Canale decide to reinstate the storied spirit brand started by their great-great-grandfather, Domenico.  They hire Master Distiller Alex Castle and in 2017 the distillery produces its first whiskey -- not far from the location of the original D. Canale & Co. warehouse. 

The distillery provides guided and self-guided tours through several artifacts with the guided tours leading through the barrel room and distillery. We took the self-guided tour and then walked up to the tasting bar where we enjoyed a flight plus a couple new twists to classic cocktails. Overall, the spirits are solid, and with multiple bars and a rooftop seating area - a frequent destination if we lived in Memphis. 

Honeybell Citrus Vodka (80 proof)
The Honeybell Orange is a hybrid of sweet tangerine and bitter grapefruit and Master Distiller Alex Castle feels this is one of her most "inventive and unique" spirits. This is a very smooth vodka, where both aspects of the fruit are truly noticeable.  

Formula No. 10 Gin (95 proof)
An interesting gin that starts with juniper and finishes with licorice. Complex flavors from the eight botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica root, licorice root, grapefruit peel, chamomile, orris root, and ginger root. 

Huling Station Straight Bourbon (100 proof)
Huling Station was the closest railway station to the D. Canale & Co. warehouse where, in 1866, Domenico Canale’s spirits were shipped throughout the United States.  This is made from a high rye recipe and bottled at 100 proof -- "reminiscent of the spirits offered by Domenico Canale".  There's definitely a bite to this bourbon with spicy notes mixed with the corn and caramel.  

Huling Station Straight Wheat Whiskey (90 proof)
This whiskey is comprised of  83 percent wheat, producing a lighter, more delicate profile.  A very pleasant sipper with stronger grassy characters.  

Memphis Toddy (60 proof)
This is the reverse-engineered spirit that led to the founding of the distillery. Its base is a high-rye bourbon which is then augmented with proprietary and a "carefully-curated array of natural ingredients".  It has an interesting profile, starts with the rye bite but then finishes with a sweet, baking spice finish. 

Maryland Bourbon at Twin Valley Distillers

Rockville's East Gude Drive has turned into a mini craft beverage destination with Saints Row Brewing and True Respite Brewing Company bookends to the lone distillery Twin Valley Distillers. I visited this distillery on an early Saturday morning to see the new location they moved into a couple years back. They utilize two sections of the warehouse with the tasting room -- cocktail bar on the right and the distillery itself intersecting on the left.  

Twin Valley specializes in Bourbon as well as spirits aging in bourbon barrels -- each as much as possible using locally sourced ingredients. Their showcase bourbons are the Maryland Whiskey Company labels -- the Special Year Straight and Single Cask 2-year Straight. For sipping at the bar I chose the Grand Thoroughbred Single Cask Wheat Bourbon which was named after the state horse of Maryland. This is a friendly bourbon, very smooth and round with hay and soft vanilla. Unfortunately, this tasting bottle was the sole survivor until bottling next month. However, the bartender recommended the 1812 Blended Bourbon  ($40, 45%) which combines both of their single cask bourbons. This whiskey has a rounded mouthfeel, caramel, oak, and honey with a slightly smoky tail. A nice addition to my bar. 

Rounding out the portfolio at Twin Valley are the bourbon barrel-aged spirits, clear spirits, and ready-to-drink cocktails & flavored spirits. On the barrel-aged side are the 1794 Bourbon Barrel Maryland Rye Whiskey, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Rum, and the Reverend Paul's Bourbon Barrel-Aged Malt Whiskey. The clear spirits consist of the Norbeck Vodka made from corn and the Maryland Rum Company Silver Rum distilled from molasses from Baltimore's Domino sugar. Finally, there are several flavored spirits and cocktails from Limoncello to Peanut Butter Whiskey. Check out the product list for more details. 

And as always, theCompass Craft Beverage Finder will guide you to this and other craft beverage destinations. Cheers. 

Judging at the World Whiskies Awards

Earlier this month the BevFluence team was invited to participate as judges in the Whisky Magazine Awards America 2022. The awards ceremony, in association with American Whiskey Magazine, will be held on February 8th, 2022 at The Flatiron Room in New York City. The judging occurred on November 11th, 2021 at the whiskey haven Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington DC. During this tasting, 32 judges sampled through 250 American whiskeys divided into 17 categories. The judges reflected a large cross-section of the spirits industry including distillers and distillery owners, writers and educators, as well as other industry professionals. The categories were very specific and consisted of Blended, Blended Limited Release, Small Batch Single Malt, Bourbon, Blended Malt, Rye, Tennessee, Corn, Flavoured Whisky, New Make & Young Spirit, Pot Still, Wheat, Single Malt, Single Barrel Bourbon, Small Batch Bourbon, Single Cask Single Malt, and Grain. We will post the winners two months from now. Cheers.

Spirit Infused Coffee from Fire Department Coffee

I'm not a flavored coffee drinker, but I received samples of spirit-infused coffee from Fire Department Coffee -- part of their Spirit Infused Coffee Club. The company was founded in 2016 by Luke Schneider, a full-time firefighter/paramedic and a U.S. Navy veteran partnering with firefighter/paramedic Jason Patton. And "ten percent of net proceeds are donated to help provide essential resources and assistance to first responders who have been injured on the job, mentally or physically, or who are facing other serious health challenges".

The spirit-infused coffees are created using a proprietary process but basically, the whole coffee beans are infused with real spirits and then roasted -- all at their facility in Rockford, Illinois. This roasting burns off the alcohol leaving remnants of the spirit or spice. The spirits consist of bourbon, whiskey (Canadian & Irish), rum, and tequila; the spices are vanilla and cinnamon. 

Vanilla Bean Bourbon Infused Coffee ($19.99)
This coffee is smooth vanilla, not overwhelming, just enough for my tastes. There's also a small hint of nuttiness which may be the bourbon talking. This coffee is a welcome alternative to my everyday Pilon Espresso.

Peach Bourbon Infused Coffee ($19.99)
This is their best seller. I was hard-pressed to recognize any peach flavors, although it carries a bite - most likely from the bourbon - that is not bitter, just a jolt. Not bad, but still prefer the vanilla bean bourbon.

Jim Beam Black Extra Aged vs Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

For Christmas, I received this advent calendar created by Jim Beam and featuring miniatures of their popular flavored releases as well as the traditional Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Black Extra Aged.  The Kentucky Straight is created using a low rye mash bill of 75% corn, 23% rye, and 12% malted barley and is a classic bourbon by definition. This means that it was created using more than 51% corn, aged in new charred American white oak barrels, and meets the appropriate ABV marks.  The Kentucky Straight Bourbon moniker simply means the whiskey was aged more than two years within the Bluegrass state. The Black Extra Aged is the baseline Kentucky Straight aged further  - averaging around six years in barrel and a slightly higher proof 43 versus 40. 

I decided to sip both the Kentucky Straight and the Black Extra Aged side by side, each poured over an ice cube.  They have a similar caramelized corn and vanilla aroma which is actually stronger with the Straight.  This is an approachable bourbon, definitely watery for stronger tastes, but at $15 per 750ml -- enough flavor, finish, and minimum burn for the price.  The Black Extra Aged has, as expected, a deeper profile with more spice notes, is smoother and provides a bigger kick, and has a longer finish.  That being said, I'm not sure it's worth the extra $10, for a mixer, I would go with the Kentucky Straight and for a sipper -- I would look elsewhere. 

Redbreast 12-Year-Old Irish Whiskey - Sherry Barrel vs Bourbon Barrel

The highly acclaimed Redbreast 12-Year-Old Irish Whiskey is matured in a combination of Bourbon seasoned American Oak barrels and Oloroso Sherry seasoned Spanish oak butts that provide complex flavors to this light-colored whiskey. The whiskey starts as locally grown barley from the Munster province in southwestern Ireland. The mash bill includes both malted and unmalted barley with the traditional malting process imparting sweetness as the starch is more accessible to the yeast during fermentation. On the other hand, the unmalted barley provides a silky and creamy mouthfeel plus a dash of spice. Once the mash is cooked and fermented, the wort is triple distilled in copper pot stills that increase the alcohol content from 40% after the first run to 85% after the third.  Copper stills are preferred since they conduct heat efficiently, and more importantly, the copper reacts with volatile sulfur compounds to form copper sulfate which remains behind in the still. Furthermore, the large pot stills used at the Midleton Distillery allows for a large volume of heavier congeners to "reflux" back into the still producing a lighter style and higher strength spirit.

This whiskey is then moved into either used sherry or bourbon barrels. The sherry butts -- standard size casks used for maturing sherry -- are manufactured by hand at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, and are made from European oak harvested in Galicia, Spain. Prior to being shipping to Ireland, the casks hold sherry wine for two years. The bourbon barrels are made from American white oak that were manufactured in Kentucky and held bourbon whiskey for a period of 3 or 4 years prior to being shipped to Ireland. The inner linings of both types of casks allow the Irish whiskey to seep in during maturation, and when it withdraws in the cooler winter months the whiskey takes with it the spectrum of either sherry or bourbon flavors hidden within. These characters include nuts and dried fruits from the sherry and vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon from the bourbon. After a minimum of 12 years, and usually longer, the whiskeys are blended and the final Redbreast 12-Year-Old Irish Whiskey is excellent - hints of all these flavors within a lightly bodied sipping whiskey. Sláinte. 

St. Augustine: A Craft Beverage Destination

For two decades now, while driving to South Florida, we have been inclined to include a detour into St. Augustine to visit the historical sights such as the Old Town, the Spanish Quarter, the Castillo de San Marcos, the Lighthouse, and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.  These visits also included a stop at the city's only craft beverage establishment - San Sebastian Winery - as we had become fans of their Blanc Du Bois and Port styled wines. They also provided an excellent tour of their facilities as well as a rooftop pavilion with satisfying glasses of white sangria.

In the past few years, other craft beverage outlets joined San Sebastian along the Trolley Tour Route such as St. Augustine Distillery - situated only a couple blocks away in the Historic FP&L Ice Plant (the first commercial enterprise to produce block ice in Florida over 100 years ago). The distillery is a business collaborative of 28 local entrepreneurs who utilize local sugar cane, wheat, corn, and citrus to produce whiskey, rum, vodka, and gin. They also contacted the world’s leading distilling experts to assist in crafting the spirits recipe and local bartenders on drafting recommended cocktails. They also emulated San Sebastian's tour design and provide one of the most insightful free walking tours of a distillery. Each station includes a free cocktail sample and the museum provides a history of block ice production as well as a legality neutral history of distilling in The Sunshine State.

For this trip, we intentionally targeted the distillery in order to purchase a bottle of their Port Finished Bourbon ($80, 102 proof).  This whiskey starts as their Florida Double Cask Bourbon which is made from a mash bill of 60% regional corn, 22% malted barley, and 18% regional wheat that is then finished in used San Sebastian Port barrels. For both the Florida Double Cask and Port Finished bourbons, distiller Lucas Smith worked closely with the late Dave Pickerell on the first blends and barrel selection as well as the final proof. Interestingly, the Florida Double Cask weighs in at on odd 93.8 proof as that was the proof that all "blenders" agreed upon.  The Double Cask refers to the use of initial 25-gallon barrels in which the spirit was then transferred to seasoned 53-gallon casks in order to slow the maturation process. The result is a phenomenon whiskey
and with the additional Port finishing imparts a slight sherry profile along with the raisins and cinnamon.

We also left with a bottle of the Pot Distilled Rum ($45, 90 proof) and the Florida Cane Vodka ($28, 80 proof). The rum is produced from regional sugarcane syrups and molasses and aged in used St. Augustine bourbon barrels. The spirit is straw-colored with a surprising coconut and baking spices profile. There's a mild dose of heat but the finish is very smooth and clean. The vodka is pot distilled from 100% Florida-farmed sugar. This provides a subtle molasses character with a clean finish.  The Florida Mule was its primary purpose and here are several other recommended cocktails:

Brooklynite •  2 ounces Pot Distilled Rum •  1 ounce honey syrup •  1 ounce lime juice •  few dashes of bitters Garnish with orange peel.	The Lolita •  1.5 ounces Florida Cane Vodka •  0.5 ounce fresh lemon juice •  0.5 ounce fresh grapefruit juice •  0.5 st. germaine •  0.25 ounce simple syrup •  3 dashes of peychauds bitters Garnish with a grapefruit peel.
Mojito •  2 ounces Pot Distilled Rum •  0.75 ounce lime juice •  0.75 ounce simple syrup •  10 leaves of fresh mint •  top with soda water Garnish with fresh mint.	The Florida Mule •  1.5 ounces Florida Cane Vodka •  1.5 ounces ginger-lime simple syrup •  Top with soda water Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
	Classic Vodka Collins •  2 ounces Florida Cane Vodka •  1 ounces simple syrup •  1 ounces lemon juice •  Top with soda water Garnish with a lemon peel

During this visit, we also stopped into two of the four craft breweries that have surfaced in the last couple of years. Ancient City Taphouse is located next to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine and the two standouts were the Castillo Coconut Porter and Brazilian Pepper Tree Honey IPA.  Old Coast Ales is located a short walk or drive over the Matanzas River and we walked out with crowlers of Salt Run Gose and the Hopper 2.0 N.E. IPA. Both nice beach beers.  Another solid beer is the Dog Rose Brewing Co. Palace Pale Ale which I had with lunch at the A1A Ale Works Restaurant & Taproom where Dog Rose owner and brewer, Doug Murr, used to brew. And finally, Bog Brewing Company and City Gate Spirits will have to wait until our return visit to America's oldest city.