Brenne French Single Malt Whisky and an Experiment

I could write an entire article about how much I admire Allison Patel. She’s a blogger at www.whiskywoman.com, entrepreneur, and a whiskey lover. She is also the person behind Brenne, a French Single Malt finished in ex-Cognac casks. 

It’s no secret that I love the people associated with craft spirits. I love the passion and the drive to create something new and innovative. The desire to not only bring people something they haven’t had before, but something that they will want again. In the world of craft spirits, it is commonly held that there are two categories. There are the distillers and the non-distillers. And while this is true, it is simplistic enough of a categorization that non-distillers often all get painted with the same brush. 

And this isn’t a good thing, necessarily. Certainly there are a lot of folks who just go buy something and pretend that it is their own product. But there is another whole group that I would call curators. They find/think up/get their hands on a good product, release it to the world and are justifiably proud of it. This is Allison. She exports American craft products to the world and imports a fantastic French Single Malt to the US.

I love supporting small businesses. Yes, I shop at Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon and Best Buy. I buy my groceries from one of the many SuperValue brands that happen to inhabit the Twin Cities of Minnesota. But I will go out of my way to support a small business if I can. I visit my local hardware store for everything other than a big project. I shop at small local liquors stores about 75% of the time. I like supporting small businesses for the same reason I like supporting craft spirits (also small businesses). Passion and a commitment to what they are doing that you can’t get at Target or Wal-Mart.

So it was with great excitment that as I was searching the Binny’s website before my last vacation I saw that Brenne was in stock in one of the stores I would be passing. I’d been reading about it for a while. the story was facinating and the product sounded intruiging. The main problems were that it wasn’t available in Minnesota and to that point, I hadn’t yet found a malt whiskey that I’d prefer over a bourbon. But I love supporting passion and Allison seemed to have that in spades. So when I saw it on the shelf, I had no hesitation about picking it up.

Brenne French Single Malt

Purchase info: $59.99 for a 750 mL at Binny’s in Bloomington, IL

Details: Barrel#: 257, 40% ABV

Nose: Very fruity with distinct notes of strawberry, melon and peaches followed closely by cooked cereal and honey

Mouth: Slightly syrupy with an initial burst of heat. Subsequent sips follow the nose with strawberry, melon, peaches and honey.

Finish: Lingering fruitiness along with bitter grapefruit pith.

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Thoughts: This qualifies as the first single malt that I liked instead of just tolerating. It is really sweet and as a bourbon drinker, I would like to see that balanced with a bit of spice. But that is just preference. This one is a winner and I plan to pick up another bottle next time I see it.

So ordinarily, this would be the end of the story. I’d pack up my keyboard and get ready to submit this article. But a while back, I noticed a similar melon note between this and the Old Forester Single Barrel that I have open. The rest of the flavors were different, but it got me to thinking. I wonder what these would taste like blended together. Based on the fact that I have multiple bourbons open at one time and that I have a short attention span, I combat the inevitable need to open a new bottle by trying to blend the ones I already have open and see if anything interesting shows itself. 

And this time, boy did it.

50/50 Blend of Old Forester Single Barrel & Brenne French Single Malt

Nose: Baked apple with brown sugar and baking spices along with muted mineral notes

Mouth: Sweet and floral with well balanced brown sugar, floral and spice flavors

Finish: Lingering ripe honeydew melon flavor. Medium length warmth, but long lasting flavor

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Thoughts: This was a really fun experiment. Having tasted both of these seperately before mixing them, it was cool to distinctly taste both of them in the blend. I found it odd that the melon note that brought them together in my head really only presented itself in the finish after blending them together. They played together very nicely though. And though it was not more than the sum of it’s parts, it was another cool way to experience them. Brenne brought fruity sweetness and Old Forester Single Barrel brought richness and spice. I liked it a lot and will be going back to it on occasion.

An interview with Robbie Delaney of Muddy River Distillery & a review of Queen Charlotte's Reserve Carolina Rum

Author’s note: Before I left Muddy River last November, Robbie was generous enough to gift me with two bottles of his product, one each of Carolina Rum and Queen Charlotte's Reserve. I do not normally accept such gifts, but made an exception. Although I do not consider this payment, the FTC does. As such I am disclosing the info now. And though I had tasted all of the products and made judgements about liking or not liking them before I knew the gift was being made, the tasting notes below are from this week. Please use this info to inform the relative accuracy of my thoughts on them.

​Back in November, I stopped for a tour at Muddy River Distillery just outside Charlotte, NC. When I got home, I realized that I really liked talking to Robbie. That's Robbie Delaney. He’s the proprietor, the distiller and the tour guide. I enjoyed our conversation enough that I thought you might enjoy it too. I asked him to answer a few questions for the blog. He was gracious enough to do so and they are below.

So Robbie, tell me a little about yourself. How did you get your start in the spirit business? What made you decide to open a distillery? 

I learned the meaning of hard work growing up on a horse farm in Wake Forest, NC. I became a General Contractor and traveled throughout the southeast working on projects and grew tired of living out of a suitcase. In early 2011 I read an in-flight magazine article about craft distilling. Construction was a little slow and so I gave distilling a shot. I read up and learned how to distill and designed and built Muddy River’s 3 reflux column stills. Everyone thought I was crazy. After getting the federal and state permits and a lot of hard work, Muddy River was the first rum distillery in NC. We began legally distilling in February 2012 and released our first product, Carolina Rum-a silver rum, in September of 2012. With almost 2 years of distilling under our belt, we released Queen Charlotte’s Reserve, an American white oak barrel aged rum, in October 2013. 

What is your specialty?

RUM. Carolina Rum is our smooth, slightly sweet rum and Queen Charlotte’s Reserve is barrel aged at least 8 months in unused American white oak barrels that are charred on the inside.

Is the distillery your full time job now?

Yes, both Caroline and I are full time now. I run the distilling, bottling, and tours. Caroline does sales, marketing, social media, and accounting for the company.

What's a typical day like for you?

An 18 hour day. Not because it has to, but because that’s how we make great liquor. We start by turning the machines on to heat up, run them, then clean and fill for the next day. Our typical activities include making mash, cleaning (the most important job), bottling, making liquor, tours, and a million other activities required of a small business.

So operating your own distillery seems like a cool job. What’s the best part?

People are interested in what I do for a living. It’s a big honor when someone wants to hear about your craft and enjoys drinking your products. We make amazing rums, and that is fulfilling in itself.

Tell me about the biggest challenge you've faced so far.

Properly managing growth. We’re trying to grow modestly, but we have sold out of product a few times.

So you’re trying to make sure you don’t grow too fast?

Yeah, I could spend all my time and marketing efforts trying to sell the first bottle to a million people. But if I can’t sell the second, I’m just a flash in the pan. You need to develop a brand loyalty. And you do that by doing things making a good product. Doing things right. Making small cuts. Using only new barrels. Instead of concentrating on expansion, we focus on selling the second bottle.

Wait, you use new barrels? As a bourbon drinker I’m used to the distillers using new barrels and then selling them to rum distillers, among others.

I buy bourbon spec barrels from the cooperage. And I only use them once. I find that it helps to cut the sweetness a bit. It doesn’t taste like your rum and coke is made with two sweetened products. Not that I would recommend adding Coke to Queen Charlotte’s Reserve.

That’s got to be expensive.

It can be, but if you live frugally, cut costs where you can and then sell it after your done with it, it’s doable. You can make back most of the cost by selling it afterward so you’re just sitting on the investment for eight months to a year. It goes back to growing modestly and making sure you can sell the second bottle.

Anything new on the horizon?

Our next product will most likely be a spiced rum. We have had a lot of people ask for one. We’ve been working on a recipe for a long time, but it has to be great before we put a product on the shelf. We’re still working on perfecting our recipe.

Any advice for readers who might be interested in following in your footsteps?

With the distilling industry growing so quickly, you have to make a top notch product in order to survive. You can sell one bottle, but it has to be good in order to have customers re-buy your product.

Do you offer tours?

Yes! Visit our website to sign up under the “Take a Tour” tab. There is a calendar with all the dates and times tours are offered. www.muddyriverdistillery.com/rumdistillerytour/

In North Carolina you are in ABC stores. Outside of North Carolina, can readers buy your products?

Yes, look and ask for us in the North Carolina section in ABCs, if you don’t see us in the rum section. And we’re in bars and restaurants throughout NC. We are in SC a little bit, but we’re working to keep up with NC and haven’t pushed to spread out much in SC.

Anything else you'd like to plug? Website? Twitter?

Website: www.muddyriverdistillery.com
Facebook: Muddy River Distillery
Twitter: @1stCarolinaRum
Instagram: muddyriverdistillery

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some questions.

Queen Charlotte’s Reserve Carolina Rum

Purchase info: My bottle was a gift from Robbie and Muddy River Distillery, but if you are in North Carolina, you can pick it up at an ABC store for $27.95 as of this writing.

Details: Aged in new charred oak barrels. 42% ABV

Nose: Delicate sweetness. Honey, dried grasses and a hint of smoke.

Mouth: Warm and tingly with a delicate sweetness. Vanilla, baking spices and a hint of mint.

Finish: Warm with a decent length. Fades to a pleasant bitterness.

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Thoughts: I really like this one. This is the first rum I would drink straight. The one I’m tasting tonight was a gift from the distiller, but the next time I’m in North Carolina I’m stocking up.

An interview with Lee Egbert, Formulator for Dashfire Bitters

It was sometime this past winter, possibly December. I’d heard from multiple people that South Lyndale Liquors was a store that I needed to check out. (By the way, it is.) While I was there I saw a man mixing drinks for people. I found this a bit odd in the middle of a liquor store so, as is my way, I wandered over to find out what was going on. 

It turns out that the man wasn’t making very big drinks. It was a liquor store, after all. What he was doing was giving tastes of his product, Dashfire Bitters, in the best way one can. In a drink. I was impressed enough to buy the Old Fashioned Bitters and an Applewood Smoked Sea Salt solution. That second one I bought because I had never seen a salt solution for sale before, it was cheap, and I figured I would be able to figure out what to do with it. I never did, in case you were curious. 

After talking to the guy for a little bit, I asked for his card. Shook his hand and wandered off. It wasn’t until last week while I was once again trying to figure out just what I was supposed to do with the salt solution that I remembered that card. “Why not ask?” I thought to myself. 

I also figured that while I was at it, I would find out more about Minnesota’s own Dashfire Bitters. Lee Egbert, Formulator for Dashfire Bitters and a principle in the soon-to-open 11 Wells Distillery in St. Paul, MN was generous enough to answer a few questions for us.

Let's start very general: What the Dashfire Bitters story? Why bitters?

I’ve always been a big spice and flavor guy, but it’s really during my travels to New York that I really started to understand this new focus on cocktails. Thanks to prohibition we really lost the art of cocktails, but the Japanese picked up where we left off and man did they take it and run with it.  One of my favorite Speakeasies in New York is Angles Share, a Japanese speakeasy, and ever since I studied Japanese in Junior High I’ve always appreciated the effort the Japanese put into perfecting things - whether its sushi, robots, animation or cocktails. The Japanese really know how to obsess about a given subject, which is something I understand and appreciate. I too had been obsessing about craft cocktails, sparing no expense, making hard to find ingredients such as shrubs, gum syrups, tonics and of course bitters. Anyone who likes these old cocktails finds themselves reading books like Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide and soon realizes these ingredients can be hard to find. Even the ones you can find can seem chemically produced. For that reason I thought I’d try making my own products but using different base spirits. I’m certainly not the first to try this, there are lots of bartenders making their own in this way, but I found it odd that pretty much all products on the shelf were made with neutral grain spirits. Out of my first four test formulas, three bombed horribly, but one was a home run. That is now the exact formula for Dashfire Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vintage Orange No. 1. Since Orange is such a classic I was a little scared some wouldn’t like it but man did I have such a great response. With my first release I wanted to show my skill to earn some respect but my next release had a whole separate intention. With Mr. Lee’s Ancient Chinese Secret I wanted to introduce something that revealed my creativity and knowledge of unique ingredients. Between my time in China and love of travel this was an obvious choice for me. The rest as they say is history. 

I've interviewed a few distillers now and I know you have a foot in that world as well. Can you talk about some of the differences between making cocktail ingredients and making spirits? Other than the obvious lack of distilling.

You know to me they are one in same. That’s not true for all distillers though. I think many are purely focused on the base spirit, but I do feel it is very important to understand how that base spirit will be applied in cocktails. I know as long as I’ve wanted to make bitters I’ve also wanted to produce spirits and really for the same reason. My dream has always been to make all the ingredients for a Manhattan. I’ve now have the bitters and I did make some crazy tasty brandied cranberries from last year’s cranberry harvest, so I guess now I just need to make the rye and vermouth. The rye is definitely in the works and I have a trip to France and Italy planned this fall to continue my education on vermouths. 

From a production side it is very similar to the process of making a gin. I macerate my spices and ingredients in high proof alcohol for some time in a barrel and some times in glass depending on the flavor I’m after. Then instead of distilling I filter to keep all the flavors. Sometime I add sugar which is traditional in bitters but in the case of Vintage Orange I use natural ingredients such as fruits and flowers to add that slight bit of sweetness. That process is a bit unorthodox in bitters but for certain flavors I prefer the result.  

You make a few different products, bitters, tinctures, cocktail salt solutions, etc. If someone were going to buy just one, where would you recommend they start?

They would definitely need to start with a bitter and I would suggest the Vintage Orange. There are literally hundreds of cocktails that call for it, last time I checked the Kindred Cocktails Database there were 350 or so. It’s also used in the primary classics like Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and Martinis which makes it a great place to start. 

I've purchased both your Old Fashioned Bitters and your Applewood Smoked Sea Salt. I understand how to use the bitters, but tell me what I should be doing with the salt solution?

Bartenders have been using salt for quite some time to balance cocktails. Similar to how you add a dash of salt to your cookies, salt balances flavors but also accentuates them. A specific application is to add a couple drops to the top of an Old Fashioned. Lately I’ve been making mine with Applejack, Maple Syrup, Old Fashioned bitters and the Applewood Salt. I’ve also noticed it seems to make a drink more complex and also easier to imbibe which could be a dangerous thing. So many cocktails are overly sweet and not really balanced and salt can help with that. Not every cocktail has to cover all the flavors, sour, sweet, savory, bitter, umami, but it’s good to have balance. 

I'm local, I can find your products in quite a few of the liquor stores I frequent. But where can folks outside of the metro buy your products? Are they available in other states? Online?

Yes, I am in a handful of other states, but they are online through a couple retailers such as France 44, South Lyndale, Ace and Surdyks.

Anything new on the horizon that we should watch out for?

I do have a couple new formulas I’m excited to release for Dashfire before the holidays, but right now I’m laser focused on spirits for 11 Wells. If we are lucky enough to get the cocktail room law passed we’ll need to start making a wide variety of spirits which I can’t wait to create. You will see some usual suspects but also some completely new stuff too. 

Any advice for the home bitters maker?

I separate all my ingredients first and then blend them together after they’ve macerated. This saves you the disappointment of over flavoring something with one or more of the ingredients, especially the bittering agent. Also don’t bother filtering and just let it settle and siphon of the top. This saves the hassle of clogging up coffee filters. 

I’d like to thank Lee for answering my questions. Check out Dashfire at dashfirebitters.com or on Facebook at: facebook.com/DashfireBitters. The Old Fashioned Bitters (now called the Brandy Old Fashioned Bitters) are quite good and I recommend them.

Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour: Old Pogue Distillery & Five Fathers Pure Malt Rye

A word of advice. Do not try to visit the Old Pogue distillery if you are running late. Maysville is farther away from anywhere than a map would lead you to believe. And once you get there, you realize that the your GPS has taken you to the exit, not the entrance. (The entrance is around back, turn on the road just before you get there.) But if you plan a little extra time, you will be rewarded with a pleasant drive through the country, an historic small town and a beautiful distillery on a hill. A very steep hill. With switchbacks. 

I on the other hand did not plan enough extra time. I had set up my tour at 10 am and parked the car at 9:59 am. I was almost late, or as I like to call it: on-time. All of the tour takers met in the gift shop. We signed in and the tour started. 

The first stop was the house. This is a lovely old home that used to house the Pogue family. Now, according to our tour guide/distiller, it gets rented out for weddings and events. We wandered around inside, listening to our host tell the family history and looking at the old bottles and ads that line the mantle and walls. I love old ads, so it was a real treat for me.

After the house, it was back across the driveway and into the distillery. The distillery is the back room of what I had originally thought was the gift shop. I see why you need to sign up for a tour. It gets a little cramped as everyone tries to get a look. The space is little, but seems to do the job. 

After everyone cycles through the distillery it is time for the tasting. We tasted Old Pogue Bourbon and Five Fathers Pure Malt Rye Whisky. I’ve already stated that I like the Old Pogue bourbon. I wasn’t quite expecting what I got with the Five Fathers though. It was interesting enough that I needed to pick up a bottle and spend a little more time with it. 

All in all, I highly recommend setting up a tour and stopping off. It’s a short tour. But the guide was nice, the history is very interesting, and the drive was pretty. What more can you ask for, really?

Five Fathers Pure Malt Rye Whisky

Nose: Grain/silage on top. Some black pepper lives under that.

Mouth: At 110° proof (55% ABV) it's understandable that this leads with a tingle. This is followed closely by a big sweet grain flavor. Bringing back the black pepper as it moves back. Mouthfeel is thick and almost velvety. 

Finish: Long and a little bitter with some black pepper spice, but not too hot.

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Thoughts: This was unlike any whiskey I've ever had before. It had elements of your typical rye, but also had similarities to malts that I've had. It was certainly young, but that didn't seem hurt it. It was very interesting and I'm very glad I bought it, but I'm pretty sure I won't find myself reaching for it very often. It's just not to my tastes.

Visiting Broadslab Distillery in Benson, NC. Part two: the interview.

Author’s note: Before I left Broadslab, Jeremy was generous enough to gift me with four bottles of his product, one of each kind. I do not normally accept such gifts, but I made an exception in this case. Although I do not consider this payment, the FTC does. As such I am disclosing the info now. And though I had tasted all of the products and made judgements about liking or not liking them before I knew the gift was being made, the tasting notes below are from tonight. Please use this info to judge the relative accuracy of my thoughts on them.

This is the second in a two part series about my visit to Broadslab Distillery in Benson, NC. As I said in my last post, I spent an hour or more talking to Jeremy while I was at the distillery. Once I got home, I sent him a note to see if he would be willing to answer a few more questions for the blog. He graciously said yes. Our conversation is below.

Jeremy, we’ve talked of course, but tell the readers a little about yourself. 

I was raised on a produce farm by my grandparents and became an entrepreneurer straight out of high school. I have gotten to this point in my life having been taught by the school of “hard knocks.”

How did you get your start in the spirit business? What made you decide to open a distillery?

My granddaddy and his ancestors made moonshine both before and after prohibition. During those times, it became an economic necessity to engage in “moonshining.” I wanted to open a distillery to honor this tradition and preserve the history of my family’s legacy. The name “Broadslab,” which my distillery is named, refers to the southeastern section of Johnston County, NC that became well-known for the quality of home-brewed whiskey produced by entrepreneurs back in the day. My distillery sits right in the heart of “Broadslab,” which many say is the “moonshine capital of NC.”

Is the distillery your full time job now? 

(Laughs) I sure wish it could be but it does not pay the bills! My wife and I own and operate two collision repair centers, grow crops on our 100-acre farm (we grow our own corn for the moonshine mash), and maintain a few rental properties. 

What’s a typical day like for you? 

Oh, how it varies each and every day! Some days I am farming and some days I am running the rollback or washing cars for the body shops.  Some days I am distilling or bottling product at the distillery and some days I am mowing grass at home, or at the body shops, or at the rental properties. There is no typical day for me!

Tell me about the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far.

The biggest challenge I have faced in this distillery thus far has been marketing, marketing and marketing! No one tells you how hard it is to get your products on the market with limited funding.

What’s the best thing about operating your own (legal) distillery?

I am blessed with so very many opportunities to meet all kinds of people from all walks of life who are very interested in and appreciate what I am trying to do!

Sustainable growth and natural ingredients seem to be at the heart of your philosophy. Tell the readers a little about what you are doing on those fronts. 

I am a firm believer in only natural ingredients because most products and foods we encounter on a daily basis are full of artificial preservatives, artificial flavors and artifical sweeteners that I believe are harmful to an individual’s health. All of the products I currently produce at the distillery are made from only natural ingredients and are certified gluten-free. 

My products have been on the market since August 2012, a very short time period. I have seen steady growth since that time and my main goal is to continue with this steady growth. Most every day I get an email or a phone call or simply talk to someone in person that has not heard about my distillery. I am building my brand one person at a time.

Any advice for readers who might be interested in following in your footsteps?

Make yourself fully aware of the financial undertaking needed to start a distillery and be willing to work a lot of VERY long hours to attempt to fulfill your dream!

What is your specialty? 

My distillery is based on the “moonshining” legacy so clear, corn liquor is my specialty.  

Any other types of products you are making?

I focus on producing and bottling only traditional, all-natural distilled spirits. I currently produce 2 varieties of corn liquor and 2 varieties of rum.  

Anything new on the horizon?

I hope to add another product or two to the list I already produce.

Do you offer tours?

Currently, I am a one-man show so I only offer tours by appointment only. But, of course, I hope to set a tour schedule very soon.

In North Carolina you are in ABC stores, outside of North Carolina, where can readers buy your products?

We currently sell our products in SC and GA at various stores in those states.

Anything else you’d like to plug? Website? Twitter?

Please check out our website at www.broadslabdistillery.com (you can read all the details about the Broadslab legacy) and “like” us on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BroadslabDistillery) and follow us on twitter (@BroadslabStill)!

Jeremy, thanks so much for chatting with me today. I enjoyed my visit to the distillery and I urge everyone in or visiting North Carolina to set up a visit with you and pick up a bottle or two in the ABC stores. Thanks again.

Broadslab Legacy Shine

Details: Label says 33% corn and 67% percent cane sugar. Jeremy told me that it included corn and malted corn along with the cane suger. 45% ABV 

Nose: Dried Corn or more accurately cattle feed. This most reminds me of when I was in college, delivering pizzas to the guys at Quality Liquid Feeds. (yes, my heritage is mostly redneck—and I’m proud of that)

Taste: This has a very delicate flavor. Very sweet. Almost no burn. I could hold this in my mouth for a while without it burning out. Based on the nose, you’d expect to be overwhelmed by corn. It’s certainly there. But it’s more like a cooked cereal than I would have expected.

Finish: Minimal heat. The cooked cereal taste really hits you after you swallow and lingers for a good while before slowly turning bitter and making you want to take another sip.

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Overall: I’ve liked very few unaged products. In fact I can only think of one before this. But I like this one. A lot. This is very obviously the work of a skilled craftsman.

Broadslab Legacy Reserve

Details: Same as above except that this has been “Colored and Flavored with Oak slabs.” (Which seems to be TTB speak for aged. For what it is worth I saw the barrels with charred oak slabs inside.)

Nose: Buttered popcorn and butterscotch. The nose on this is very sweet.

Taste: An initial hit of cinnamon transitions to a sweet smokiness. The smokiness is not overpowering. The buttery note is there to back it all up.

Finish: There’s a bit of heat that sticks around and a lingering smokiness. Kinda glad I tasted this second. Feels like a palate wrecker.

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Overall: my wife liked this, but overall this wasn’t for me. It’s not that it was bad or anything. I just have a well known preference away from smoky whiskies. And this has that same sort of smoky flavor (even if it is technically not a whisky). I am extremely interested in trying it in a Manhattan-type cocktail though. 

 

Visiting Broadslab Distillery in Benson, NC. Part one: the visit.

 Author’s note: Before I left Broadslab, Jeremy was generous enough to gift me with four bottles of his product, one of each kind. I do not normally accept such gifts, but I made an exception in this case. Though I do not consider this payment, the FTC does. As such I am disclosing the info now. Though I had tasted all of the products and made judgements about liking or not liking them before I knew the gift was being made, the tasting notes below are from tonight. Please use this info to judge the relative accuracy of my thoughts on them.

I like visiting with craft distillers. I love the passion with which they do the work they do. And let’s be honest, you don’t get into that business if you don’t have a passion for it. So, to that end when I started planning my trip to North Carolina, I decided that I was going to look to see if I there were any I could visit. And boy, were there. There are at least 13 active distilleries in North Carolina. Many of which were either nowhere near where I was going to be or not offering tours while I was going to be in the vicinity. I reached out to six of them, three responded. 

The first one that I passed was Broadslab Distillery in Benson, NC. Tours to Broadslab are available by appointment only as Jeremy, the proprietor, pretty much runs a one man show. Along with his two body shops. And the farm he grows his corn on.

To say that Jeremy is a busy man, would be an understatement. He also seems pretty handy to have around. You see, he built his still. And the building it’s in. And he cleared the driveway leading up to it. Along the way he found an old tub. It had ax cuts in the bottom given to it by the agents that busted his grandfather during prohibition. It seems Jeremy came by his passion naturally. 

Now I will say that the tour is a short one. The building isn’t big. You walk in, there’s the still. Turn around, and there’s the fermentation area. Take a short walk to the back of the building and you see the bottling line. But a small building is ok. It is just a part of his operation. He has a farm where he grows the corn that is one of the ingredients in his Shine. In case you were curious, he malts the corn there too. 

I talked to Jeremy for the better part of an hour. He took me through all the parts of the still from heat box (gas now, but designed to convert to wood if he wanted) to the thumper that is housed in a barrel. He explained how he’s trying to grow sustainably and run his business responsibly. He even told me about plans for the future. Though out of respect to him, I’ll keep those under my hat. (If you want to know, set up a tour!) He even went through the infusion process he uses to make his spiced rum.

I left admiring the operation and the proprietor. If you are in eastern North Carolina, set up a visit. Or attend an event he’ll be at. Taste the product. It’s good stuff.

Carolina Coast Silver Rum

Nose: A vague sweetness that I can't quite put my finger on. Smells like every moonshine I've ever tried.

Mouth: The sweetness is still here, but there's a bit of funk in the mouth too.

Finish: A fairly harsh burn and bitter.

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Overall: This is a fairly typical mixing rum. It performs nicely in a mojito, though that funk comes through and might be off putting if you were not expecting it. Drinking it neat: meh. Not great, not terrible. 

Carolina Coast Spiced Rum

Nose: Christmas in a glass. Vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, allspice. It's like a cookie in liquid form.

Mouth: All the flavors from the nose are here. Nice mouthfeel.

Finish: Sharp at first (in the sense of a sharp cheddar) but then a warmth spread from the back of the throat all the way to the tip of your tongue. Nice.

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Overall: Didn't expect to like this. I detest Captain Morgan spiced rum and have never had any others. But, to my surprise, I like this one. I'd sip it on it's own. I'd consider mixing it too. I think it'd bring a lot to a cocktail. I might even try dabbing a bit on myself as a cologne. It smells that good. 

Final thoughts: If I were buying this for myself, I wouldn't regret either purchase. I'd mix the silver as I expected to and not be unhappy about it. But if I were buying to sip, I'd go for the spiced. It's damn tasty.

This was part one. Part two will be an interview with proprietor, Jeremy Norris and reviews of his two moonshine products.

Interview: David Cole of David Cole Creative, Bourbon Packaging Designer

Woodinville Whiskey Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Photo courtesy David Cole, www.davidcolecreative.com.

About two weeks ago I got a notice from a reader regarding an upcoming bourbon event. It turns out that he is also the designer of the label and packaging of this upcoming release. As I am also a designer who loves whiskey, I felt that there were some fun questions here to be answered. What follows is our conversation. 

So tell me a little about yourself, are you a bourbon drinker? What's your go-to pour?

Go-to pour? Quick answer, without over-thinking it would be Knob Creek, 9-year bourbon. That's my "every-day" favorite. But there sure are a lot of other options if you're in one mood or another. I got into whiskey via Old Overholt Rye! From there I acquired a taste for Maker's Mark Bourbon and Bulleit and it's been a bonanza of new experiences since then. I greatly enjoy Woodinville Whiskey's Microbarrel Bourbon and Rye. The bourbon is surprisingly mature for it's young age. I'm also enjoying the proliferation of Scotch-style, American single-malt whiskeys that are showing up. I guess it's hard to pick a favorite right now, when every week brings a new product to try - especially here in the Northwest. I can't even keep up with all the new releases. Eastland is doing some interesting things. So is Clear Creek. And I still have plenty of classics to get to know as well. I guess I can't afford to latch on to anything at the moment. There's so much yet to learn.

Like me, you are a designer. Unlike me, you design for bourbon bottles. How'd you get started with that specialty?

I started out in package design over 12 years ago right out of art school. My wife-to-be and I were both designers at a small agency in a small town for about two years. Then we moved to Seattle and got caught up in the "big city" design agency rat race for as long as we could stand it. That was profoundly educational but the work wasn't particularly rewarding for me. So in 2012 I decided to go it alone. I left the agency I was working for and went solo. My wife (www.nikkicolecreative.com) had already blazed that path, 4 years prior. I guess I was slow to figure it out. Anyway, my passion for packaging had been unsatisfied for some eight years or so. So I just decided that's what I was going to do. I guess I can't say that my passion for whiskey had been unsatisfied, but the two had yet to converge and that's what I was really wanting to make happen. So I posted some related work on my website and within months I was getting unsolicited calls and emails from local wineries and distillers. It's been snowballing since then and it's only just beginning! Just yesterday I got an email from a distiller in Ukraine. We're already talking details and it looks like it's going to be a fun project: A whole product line of hand-made fruit brandies. I can't wait to get started on designs.

What are some of the unique challenges in designing whisky bottles and packaging?

Compared to a great many other food and drink products, packaging for the spirits category is equally challenging, or maybe slightly less so. A great many food and drink products have to contend with refrigeration, moisture and other mechanical considerations related to packing, shipping and storage. Wine and spirits are thankfully free from these particular hurdles. It's just nuts and bolts stuff, but it has a pretty major impact on the materials and print processes that will be appropriate for the finished package. With spirits in particular, the door remains open to many processes that help achieve a premium look and feel in the package. Also, makers of whiskey and spirits are charging a lot more for their products than makers of jellies, chocolates, coffee and many of the other food producers I work with. Expectations are higher when it comes to selection of high quality materials such as natural cork, glass and premium label papers, etc. I prefer to design for premium, hand-made and/or natural products, so it's a perfect fit.

I know that the labels need to be submitted for approval, does this affect all portions of the design? or just the label portion itself?

The TTB is only concerned with certain pieces of information. In most cases that information appears on the primary label (or screen printed equivalent of a label), so I believe that's where their interest ends. I suppose they also regulate some other, non-label factors such as net contents. Only certain sizes are legal to sell in the United states: 200ml, 375ml and 500ml, if I remember correctly.

You have a bourbon that is launching soon that you designed. Tell us about that project, how did it come about

Woodinville Whiskey Company is a dream client for me. They contacted me out of the blue just over a year ago. They were exactly the client I was hoping for: A Northwest distiller with a lot of hand-crafted appeal and pride in their products. From day one, we got along famously. We're on the same page every time we meet to discuss projects, in terms of the vision for what we want to accomplish and what will be right for their brand. It's a great relationship. After I'd worked on some other projects for them, they asked me to help with this straight bourbon. I was excited to help. A young distilleries first straight whiskey is a big deal. It's a rite of passage and I'm honored to be a part of it.

Anything else you'd like to share? Where can we see more of your work?

I have a lot of irons in the fire right now! I'm currently doing work on other exciting (and top-secret) projects for Woodinville Whiskey Co. Some of that will be public in the coming weeks and some of it will be another year or so - some really cool stuff. I'm also branding and designing bottles/labels for a new, startup distiller in Eastern Washington. They will have product on the shelves this spring and I'm very excited about the direction it's heading. Unfortunately, it's also not public yet, but I'll let you know. In addition to that, I'm currently in discussions with two vodka makers and three wineries! 

I'll be appearing at an American Distilling Institute event in a few weeks, Hosted by Heritage Distilling, in Gig Harbor Washington. I was graciously invited to share some packaging design knowledge with the distillers who will be in attendance, so I'm hoping a new relationship or two comes out of that. And in related news, I have a great long-term relationship with Seattle's Canon: Whiskey & Bitters Emporium. I've done some labels for them (bitters and aged cocktails), menu designs, and a 100-page cocktail book (now in its second edition), among some other odds and ends. Oh, and I recently had an Italian glass maker pickup one of my original 750ml bottle designs as a stock offering in their catalogue for next year! I even got to name it! I get to see the prototype next week. Very excited. There's a lot going on! I just wish more of it was public, but you can be sure I'll be updating my website (http://www.davidcolecreative.com) and tweeting (@Davidscole) about new developments as soon as they are ready to share.

I'm having a lot of fun, doing what I love and I feel very fortunate to work with the amazing clients I have - and I'm excited about who I might meet next. It's always an adventure.

David, thanks for sharing all this with us. I find this sort of behind-the-scenes fascinating and I hope everyone else does too!

Woodinville Whiskey: Straight Bourbon Release Event. December 7, 2013

Woodinville Whiskey Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Photo courtesy David Cole, www.davidcolecreative.com.

A reader and fellow designer, David Cole (@Davidscole on twitter), reached out to me today to let me know about an event that is taking place in Washington on December 7th, 2013. As it is bourbon related and in a state that I absolutely adored visiting a few years back, I thought I’d pass it along. FYI, David designed and created the packaging on this bottling. His site is www.davidcolecreative.com.

What: Woodinville Whiskey Company Straight Bourbon Release

When: December 7th, 2013. Doors open at 7 am, but there will be coffee and doughnuts at 6 am.

What makes this special? Well, for one thing it is a craft distiller releasing a straight whiskey. That’s pretty darn special right there. Add in the fact that they made the whiskey and aged it for 2 years in standard sized barrels and it gets even better. 

What will you be buying? This is the first release of straight whiskey from Woodinville Whiskey company and they are releasing it in collector’s edition bottles complete with “a custom pewter label and custom display box.” Or so their website says. It goes on to say that there are 388 wheated bourbon bottles available and 207 rye bourbon bottles. Bottles are 750 mL each and will retail for $149.95. Limit one bottle per person.

What do I think? Well, to be honest, $150 for a 750 mL is quite a bit above the limit of buyer’s remorse for me, especially for a two-year old whiskey. That said, I’m also a fan of letting the whiskey speak for itself and I haven’t tasted it so I can’t pass judgement on whether or not it is worth the price. I also need to remember that this is a “collector’s edition bottle” that really looks quite pricey to produce (as I said, I’m a designer and know how expensive printing small runs can be and yes…roughly 600 is a tiny print run even without all the extras that are happening on this). Hopefully future bottlings will have a more reasonable price tag. So ultimately, if you are a fan and in the area, maybe you want to show up on the seventh, plunk down your cash and let us all know how it tastes.

Oh and it really is beautiful packaging. Nice work David. You’ve done beautiful work.