Oh Taste & See: Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky

A few weeks ago I wrote about my recent visit to Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, VA, and today I'll taste their Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky as the third and final installment in my series of three American, craft, malt whisk(e)y's. The first two I reviewed were Edgefield Distillery's Hogshead Whiskey from Oregon and MB Roland's Malt Whiskey from Kentucky. Wasmund's is the outcast of this trio since it drops the 'e' from whiskey, but that's not the only thing that makes it different.

For one thing, this is a soup-to-nuts, produced-in-house whiskey. Copper Fox's Rick Wasmund malts his own barley in-house, sourced from nearby farms, and dries it in a kiln fired by apple and cherry wood. As far as I know he's the only distillery in the world doing that. He also brings some non-traditional wood into the aging process, and in only 14 months of barrel-time turns out a very classy and unique whisky.

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Oh Taste & See: Edgefield Distillery Hogshead Whiskey

I noticed recently that I had accumulated a few bottles of small-batch, craft-distilled malt whiskeys, so I thought I'd taste them all, three posts in a row, and offer you a comparison. First up is Hogshead Whiskey from Oregon's Edgefield Distillery. Edgefield Distillery is part of the McMenamins empire which operates hotels, pubs, breweries, wineries, and theaters throughout Oregon and Washington. Hogshead Whiskey is made in a small, dark, barn-like distillery at the Edgefield resort property that McMenamins operates in Troutdale, OR.

Hogshead Whiskey is a very small batch product distilled from the same barley malt used in some of McMenamins' beers, and aged 'to-taste' in used barrels. It is available at any of McMenamins' pubs or restaurants or at a couple of the hotel gift shops, but that's it...so don't get your hopes up about finding a bottle at your corner liquor shop. Here's what I think about it:

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Northern Virginia Distillery Double-Dip: Catoctin Creek & Copper Fox

A couple weeks ago I was in Northern Virginia and I had the chance to stop in for a visit at two very cool micro-distilleries that are turning out some very tasty and unique whiskies. While in the area I did some camping and hiking in Shenandoah National Park which felt like real 'mountain moonshiner' territory, so I think it's appropriate that good, legal whisky is being made in the hills just outside the nation's capital.

The first distillery I visited was Catoctin Creek Distillery in Purcellville, VA, a tiny town about twenty miles northwest of Dulles International Airport and a stone's throw from the West Virginia line. Catoctin Creek was founded in 2009 by a husband and wife team, and from what I could tell, she seems to be the head distiller, which is cool to see.They're located in a small warehouse space in an unassuming industrial park, a lot like Philadelphia Distilling Company which I visited last year. While the space might be small they make the most of it. Up front is a tasting room and gift shop, and in back there's a shiny, German-made copper still of about 100 gallon capacity, a corner full of aging 30 gallon barrels, and a temperature-controlled tent used for fermentation.

All of Catoctin Creek's currently-available products are made from organic rye from Kansas, but through some very creative distilling tricks they are able to make the most of this one simple ingredient. They produce both aged and unaged rye whiskies as well as a really crisp and tasty rye-based gin. They also make some fruit brandies and liquors which I heard great things about, but they didn't have any available when I visited. There was a big crowd in the tasting room on the Saturday that I stopped by, with folks visiting from as far away as Germany. Everyone got a taste of the Mosby's Spirit unaged rye, the signature Roundstone Rye (aged in 30 gallon white oak barrels), and the Watershed Gin. All three were very good, and I brought home a bottle of the Roundstone Rye which I will review for you soon. For more on Catoctin Creek check out there website, or just pop in for a visit like I did.

The second distillery I visited was a real treat for me since it was pretty much exactly how I would design a distillery given unlimited cash. Copper Fox Distillery is located a bit off-the-beaten-path in the small, artsy town of Sperryville, VA, but it's not difficult to find. It's not far from Shenandoah National Park, so it's a nice stop-off when heading to or from that area. Beyond making good whisky, Copper Fox is a cool place to visit. The distillery has been in operation for a little over five years, and occupies an old, barn-style building in a secluded compound of three or four similar buildings - one of which houses an antiques store. The tasting room is small, but very cute and not only sells whisky, but also miniature models of the Copper Fox delivery truck that sits outside the distillery. Outside the tasting room there's a really nice sitting area with a true man-cave vibe that makes you want to hang out for hours. Copper Fox is also one of the only distilleries in America (maybe the only?) where you can see a small-scale malting operation, just like you might see in Scotland.

Copper Fox takes a soup-to-nuts approach to making its distinctive whiskies, from malting it's own barley which is grown by a nearby farmer to aging its whiskeys in a unique process using apple and cherry wood alongside traditional oak. Copper Fox's products include both aged and unaged versions of Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky and Copper Fox Rye, and they have a bourbon coming soon which I can't wait to try. I encourage you to check their website for more info on tours and tastings, and check back here for a review of the bottle of Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky that I brought home.

I guess it's true what they say...Virginia is for (whisky) Lovers.

Four Roses Distillery Tour

This year for Christmas I made the long drive home from Philadelphia to beautiful Western Kentucky. On the ride back I broke up the monotonous drive with a stop at the Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. I have always been intrigued by Four Roses' history and mystique. Not only is there a romantic story behind the Four Roses name (read the official version here), but also a unique history of at least 120 behind the brand. Four Roses was one of America's most popular whiskeys before prohibition. Then it was unavailable for more than 40 years in the U.S. before returning in the last decade and gradually regaining its place among America's top bourbon brands. During that time the Four Roses name graced all sorts of different whiskeys, but now the distillery is back to focusing strictly on producing classic Kentucky Bourbon.

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First Tasmanian Whisky Available in the US

A few months ago I wrote about the growth of whisky production in Australia and specifically on the island of Tasmania. Until now getting your hands on Australian-made whisky in the U.S. has been next to impossible. I tried to have a tiny sample bottle of Aussie whisky sent to me this past summer, and after a few frustrating calls with a customs officer at the Port of L.A., I gave up on jumping through all the hoops necessary to get the bottle to my shelf. I guess they sent it back to Australia, or maybe had a little happy hour at the customs office.

Well now it's easier to taste at least one Tasmanian whisky - actually three different whiskies from Lark Distillery - at least if you live near New York, Chicago, Miami, San Fran, or L.A. You can read more about the first Australian whisky being imported to the U.S. here, and as soon as I get a chance to taste some I'll report back.

G'Day.

Whiskey Book Review: The Art of Distilling Whiskey and Other Spirits

The Art of Distilling Whiskey and Other Spirits is a must read for anyone interested in the production process, history, or future of fine spirits. It's edited by Bill Owens and Alan Dikty, two of the biggest names in the distilling industry (and the craft-brewing industry to boot). Given the vast knowledge that Owens and Dikty bring to the table, you're bound to learn something from this book even if you're already well-versed in the world fine spirits.

My favorite thing about this book is that serves three purposes at the same time. First it's a beautiful coffee-table book with dozens of beautiful photos showing the various bottles, stills, and people that make up the world of artisan distilling. It's worth having around just for the photos, but wait there's more! The Art of Distilling Whiskey is also an informative and entertaining introduction to how distilled spirits are made, and the differences between the various categories of spirits. If you're looking for a comprehensive but digestible book to bring you up to speed on the world of spirits this one is perfect. Finally, this book is a great reference volume. It contains a wide-ranging bibliography of further reading on the topic of distilling, a distiller's glossary, and a comprehensive international directory of distilleries that focuses on small craft producers.

In summary, this is a book that you'll go back to time and again as you have questions about what you're drinking, who made it, and how it got to be so darn tasty. For the moment it's also the most up-to-date book in its category and contains few of the omissions and errors that I've found in similar books from just a few years ago. It is hard to write comprehensively about the constantly-changing world of spirits, but after reading through The Art of Distilling Whiskey I can see why it has become a classic only a year after first being published. I look forward to reading more of Bill Owens' books and reporting back on them here.