In 1843 a grocer by the name of David Nicholson started distilling his original bourbon recipe in the private back room of his St. Louis general store on North 6th Street. Unbeknownst to its forefather, a legacy was born. Half a century his recipe had been passed down for generations. Eventually, the legendary Julian Pappy Van Winkle and W.L. Weller handcrafted Nicholson's iconic 43 bourbon at the Stitzel distillery. The Van Winkles owned the brand until 2000 when it was acquired by Luxco. Still possessing the outstanding character for which it earned its original popularity in 1843, the David Nicholson legacy lives on unchanged, unfettered, and unmatched. This extra-aged ryed bourbon has a full-bodied flavor and a distinct, spicy taste.

In the small town of Kirby, Wyoming population 92 Brad Mead, a fifth-generation rancher whose family first came to Wyoming in 1890, is continuing a tradition of "firsts." While his family has produced U.S. senators, lawyers, extreme skiers and two governors of Wyoming, Brad, along with his wife Kathy and their son Sam, established the first legal distillery in Wyoming State in 2009, and has been making exceptional, handmade whisky ever since. Mead developed the recipe for his Wyoming Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey with the help of Bourbon Hall of Fame member Steve Nally, who previously spent over 30 years at Maker's Mark, and Lincoln Henderson, the founder of Angel's Envy. The mash bill itself reflects the rustic and beautiful terroir of Wyoming State all of the grains (corn, wheat and barley) are grown within 100 miles of the cutting-edge distillery. Once distilled through both a column and pot still, Wyoming Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is aged for at least five years in charred, white oak barrels stored at one of three warehouses in Kirby. During the summer, temperatures can reach sustained levels of 130 degrees, whereas the winter frequently brings sub-zero temperatures. This extreme fluctuation results in a whisky that is more dynamic in less time aging. Wyoming Whiskey's first cask-finished whiskey uses Pedro Ximenez casks which impart a deep, complex richness, color, and sweetness to its Straight Bourbon whiskey. A wheated Straight Bourbon whiskey aged first in new charred oak for 5 years then finished in Pedro Ximenez casks and bottled at 50% ABV. Each release is crafted from no more than 5 Pedro Ximenez casks. 

The Featherbone Factory built by E.K. Warren in the 19th century to manufacture women's corsets sits on the banks of Lake Michigan just across the Indiana border in Three Oaks, Michigan. As the factory changed hands in the twentieth century, it became a production site for everything from buggy whips to pickles. Today, it's home to Journeyman Distillery and Bill Welter, Journeyman's master distiller. Welter, who was formerly a banker in Indiana, began his Journey when his family business was sold in 2006. He moved to Scotland, where he began to learn the art of craft distillation from Greg Ramsay (master distiller at Nant Distillery) and Bill Lark (master distiller at Lark Distillery). After returning to the United States, Welter spent time producing and resting whiskey using a prominent organic & kosher distiller's facility in Chicago before opening the doors of his own distillery in Three Oaks with the intention to offer grain-to-glass spirits from day one/drop one. Silver Cross Four Grain artisanal whiskey is comprised of four types of grain in equal parts.Distilled in a way to highlight the flavor profile of each grain in the whiskey itself.The Silver Cross name is inspired by a medal that was given out in the early days of the British Open, which would later come to symbolize friendship, tradition, camaraderie and spirited competition.1% of all the proceeds from this whiskey is donated to various golf charities/organizations to teach kids the game of golf and instill in them good core values. This incredible whiskey earned 92 pts from the Beverage Tasting Institute and a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

In 1988, near a scenic stream called Lithia Creek in Ashland, Oregon, Jack Joyce and Bob Woodell, fraternity brothers at the University of Oregon, opened the doors of Rogue Brewery. For fifteen years, Rogue Brewery brewed beers such as Dead Guy Ale, Dad's Little Helper and Brutal IPA under the tutelage of John Maier, Rogue Brewery's brewmaster. Then, with the addition of Master Distiller John Couchot in 2003, Rogue Spirits was born. Couchot, who earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry at Evergreen State College in Washington, was a professional chemist for six years before jumping ship to make spirits. They take pride in all their whiskeys being handcrafted. This starts at the selection of grains, brewing, and distilling, then ends with aging and bottling. All Rogue's spirits are made from ingredients off their own Rogue farms and Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey is no exception. It's a handcrafted limited single malt whiskey distilled in small batches. It is aged for three years, spending the first in new Oregon Oak barrels and the remaining 2 in stout Oregon Oak barrels that used to hold their own Rolling Thunder Russian imperial stout. Combining the spice and citrus with deep and dark tones from the stout, it's single malt and bourbon, walking hand in hand.

"I'm an avid whiskey lover," says Darek Bell, master distiller at Corsair Artisan Distillery in Kentucky, "but I do think whiskey could be better. Different. More interesting. More imaginative". Bell, a graduate of the Bruichladdich Distilling Academy in Islay, Scotland, is a mad scientist and a notoriously experimental distiller. Since opening its doors in 2009, Corsair Artisan Distillery has received numerous accolades and awards, including being named the 2013 Craft Distillery of the Year and 2013 Innovator of the Year by Whisky Magazine. Wildfire is Corsair's very first grain to glass whiskey, crafted from barley grown, malted, and smoked at a rural Tennessee farm in Bell's Bend. Wildfire is 100% hickory-smoked, which gives it a unique flavor profile and smooth mouthfeel. Launched in 2015 Wildfire has quickly become one of our most popular whiskeys. 

The tradition of keeping an infinity bottle is well known to whiskey collectors and aficionados around the world. In 2018, we introduced the Infinite Barrel Project, to honor the infinity bottle tradition in our own way, and we became the first brand to produce and sell an infinity barrel in the commercial market.

THE INTENT OF THIS PROJECT 

The tradition of keeping an infinity bottle is well known – take the last ounces of each whisk(e)y bottle as you finish it and pour them into a bottle you’ve set aside.

Until 2018, the infinity bottle was largely something that people put together at home, but was done more for fun than flavor. The point of difference for the Barrell Craft Spirits “infinity barrel” was to select barrels for their flavor contribution and complexity and blend them in a larger single, or "Infinite" vessel. At each bottling, we remove a portion of that whiskey and replace it with other barrels that will complement the remaining blend. We then repeat the process - bottling a portion and adding newly selected whiskeys each time. To date, we’ve done 19 bottlings of the Infinite Barrel Project. 

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE SOLERA PROCESS?

Our Infinite Barrel Project contains fractions of many whiskey barrels in a single blend, and we produce a unique blend for every bottling. A solera is designed to create a consistent product every time. At its most basic, the solera process starts with a single barrel or group of barrels of a specific age. A fraction of the first group of barrels is put it in the second group of barrels, a fraction of that second group is put in the third group and so on. The solera process is designed and symmetrical. We think of our Infinite Barrel Project as a solera in reverse. It's unpredictable and asymmetrical, and constantly evolving.

The Featherbone Factory built by E.K. Warren in the 19th century to manufacture women's corsets sits on the banks of Lake Michigan just across the Indiana border in Three Oaks, Michigan. As the factory changed hands in the twentieth century, it became a production site for everything from buggy whips to pickles. Today, it's home to Journeyman Distillery and Bill Welter, Journeyman's master distiller. Welter, who was formerly a banker in Indiana, began his journey when his family business was sold in 2006. He moved to Scotland, where he began to learn the art of craft distillation from Greg Ramsay (master distiller at Nant Distillery) and Bill Lark (master distiller at Lark Distillery). After returning to the United States, Welter spent time producing and resting whiskey using a prominent organic & kosher distiller's facility in Chicago before opening the doors of his own distillery in Three Oaks with the intention to offer grain-to-glass spirits from day one/drop one. Journeyman Distillery is located in an 1800's corset and buggy whip factory in Three Oaks, Michigan, once a dry town. Corsets, Whips & Whiskey is a single-grain, cask strength barrel-to-glass limited release whiskey, showcasing the high quality and terroir of the organic Michigan wheat used to produce it. The 100% wheat provides a soft sweetness and smoothness to this whiskey unlike any other and reminiscent of an Irish whiskey on the palate.

To make a whisky that was as affordable and approachable as we wanted, we had to tear up the rule book (a renegade act we relished, we’ll admit). It was worth every effort for this double grain whisky.

Unconventional doesn’t stop at how we make Two-Fold either, try sipping Two-Fold with tonic and you’ll rethink the G&T for good.

Two-Fold is an awarded, approachable whisky crafted to be enjoyed any way you like. What gold decorates this bottle? Well, we’re the Gold medal winner at San Francisco World Spirits Awards 2020 but also the Best Australian Blended Whisky at World Whiskies Awards 2020 + 2019!

Tasting Notes

Nose: Bright red berries coated in buttery vanilla spice.

Palate: Imagine a smooth, rich caramel dessert balanced by tropical fruit.

Finish: Delicate and long. A delicious, dry finish from a faded sweetness.

In the 18th century, a Swiss Mennonite farmer by the name of John Shenk settled his family near Pennsylvania's Blue Mountain Valley. After a few years of hard work and long hours, Shenk was harvesting more grains that he could sell at the local market. As a result, Shenk purchased a still and began distilling the excess grains he harvested into whiskey. His distillery, which was eventually named Michter's, became the United States first distilling company. The passage of Prohibition in 1919 forced Michter's, along with nearly every other distillery in the United States, to close. In the early 1990s, however, Joseph J. Magliocco teamed up with Richard Newman in an effort to resurrect the brand. When we set up our whiskey program for Michter's, says Magliocco, Dick and I wanted to get back to the cost be damned roots and produce the finest whiskey possible. Our goal was to show that whiskey made in the United States could be the equal of great whiskey made anywhere in the world. Michter's award-winning US1 Sour Mash Whiskey is the cornerstone of this Toasted Barrel Sour Mash Whiskey, made by taking Michter's US1 Sour Mash Whiskey and aging it for an additional period of time in a secondary bespoke barrel. This custom made barrel is assembled from 18-month air-dried wood before being toasted (not charred). Several different levels of toast were carefully evaluated for the second barrel before the Michter's production team led by Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson decided on the final bespoke cask that would best display the elegant nuances of this special whiskey. Pick up your bottle today!

We partnered with small and large producers across the country to select whiskeys that express the full diversity of American terroir and style. The resulting blend is remarkable, and we are proud to be the first to showcase the growing category of American single malt in this way. 

We chose the name “American Vatted Malt” as an homage to the old Scottish category of vatted malt, which was once the preferred nomenclature to describe a blended whisky made entirely from single malts. Today, the Scots refer to that style as blended malt, but affection for the term “vatted” lives on.

As a new category, American single malt producers are notoriously creative, looking to their local environment and regional traditions to create distinctive whiskeys. That meant the blend was a challenging one technically, as it asked us to bring together a plethora of unique components. Never before have we strived to balance the distinctive tang of Southwestern mesquite smoke with the sweet and creamy maltiness of malted barley, or contrast briny coastal peat with the warm vanilla character of toasted oak. The resulting blend is complex and multi-faceted, rewarding the drinker with unfolding layers of flavor. 

This first release of American Vatted Malt was years in the making, as many of the components in the blend come from emerging distilleries that have never traded or sold bulk whiskey before. The physical and logistical work of sourcing and blending with a group of small, independent producers is neither easy nor short, but we believe it lays the groundwork for a new, exciting, and collaborative future. Some of our collaborators have asked to remain anonymous, but the core group of participants includes:

•    Balcones Distillery, Waco, Texas

•    Hamilton Distillers Del Bac, Tucson, Arizona

•    MGP, Lawrenceburg, Indiana

•    Harvest Distillery, Valatie, New York

•    Santa Fe Distillery, Santa Fe, New Mexico

•    Kings County Distillery, Brooklyn, New York

We look forward to continuing to work with this group of innovative whiskey producers while searching out new partners for future releases of Barrell Craft Spirits Vatted Malt. In addition to expanding our ever-growing portfolio of spirits, this new project is an important step in advancing our vision of the next chapter of whiskey in America. 

AWARDS​

Whisky Advocate rating of 88

A celebration of Oregon's legendary brewing culture, this whiskey grew out of our longstanding cask-trading tradition among a select group of beer producers in the Northwest. For as long as we've been making whiskey, we've traded our freshly-emptied barrels with some of our brewing friends in and around the Northwest, who have in turn "seasoned" them with Stout before returning them again. Our Stout Cask Finish begins with our Westward American Single Malt, and is then aged for one year in Stout casks.

Broken Barrel Mizunara is a true tale of East meets West. This artisanal whiskey blends American corn with Japanese mizunara oak staves. Both are matured together for a rare yet balanced combination. 

Mizunara, literally translates to “water oak.” This oak has become increasingly popular with the global growth of whiskey, and the majority of this oak is now sourced from Mongolia. It has a high moisture content and is much more porous than other commonly used oaks for barrel making. Making barrels out of Mizunara is quite challenging according to many coopers, as the porous properties of the casks are prone to leaking.

Our whiskey, as a result of using this most interesting oak for our Oak Bill™ resulted in a rich, harmonious blend that is both quintessentially American in sweetness and character, while still notably Japanese-styled in its mellow smooth finish. Broken Barrel Mizunara Whiskey is exceptionally flavorful and unforgettably clean tasting - a whiskey meant to be sipped, savored, and most importantly - shared.

TASTING NOTES

Coloration: Caramel Brown

AROMA: Walnut, Bartlett Pear, Hint of Toffee 

BODY: Nutty, Toasted Bread and Peppercorn

FINISH: Sesame, Citrus, Apples and Honey

Broken Barrel Isle of Peat explores the concept of reclaiming flavor from oak while also reclaiming oak from the Scots. American whiskey is heavily dominated by Bourbon - a whiskey governed by a rule that a new oak barrel can only be used once. Scotch whisky however follows no such rule, and Americans export millions of ex-bourbon barrels to Scotland where they become Scotch barrels. 

Isle of Peat introduces a curated combination of  American wheat whiskey and American single-malt whiskey, blended together and matured with the charred oak staves from these very Scotch barrels. 

Specifically, Islay Scotch barrels - best known for their unrelenting smoky character and intensity. The reclaimed oak staves are broken down from their barrel form, carefully selected, and submerged into the whiskey we've blended for a minimum of 30 days. Stored in a warm dry environment, these Islay staves impart their smoky finish into every last drop of this incredible whiskey. The finish is a long-lasting smoke show that will leave you wanting more and more.

TASTING NOTES

Coloration: Golden Honey Brown 

AROMA: Wheat, Smoke, Peat, and Oak

BODY: Campfire, Charred Spiced and Roasted Nuts

FINISH: Nutmeg, Dark Fruit and Clove

Maker Notes

There is no other word to describe this. We took some of our legendary 10 year old Bourbons & finished them in barrels that held New York’s finest artisanal maple syrup from Crown Maple. The result is a rich, creamy-smooth & slightly sweet mouthful of whiskey flavor that is way beyond good. It’s decadent.

TASTING Notes

Aroma: Sugared Pecans, Maple, Birch Beer, Charred Oak

Taste: Vanilla, Burnt Sugar, Cinnamon Bark

Finish: Brown Sugar, Shortbread

Heaven's Door Whiskey is a collaboration with Bob Dylan that came to be in 2018 when industry veteran Marc Bushala and Master Blender Ryan Perry teamed up with the music icon. This award-winning collection features an inspired bottle depicting the distinctive iron gates that were created by Dylan in his studio, Black Buffalo Ironworks. The unique gates were handcrafted from objects discovered across America. This incredible label has a core lineup of highly acclaimed whiskeys. Their Straight Tennessee Bourbon has a unique mash bill from Tennessee, utilizing 30% "small grains" to complement the character imparted from spending a minimum of 8 years in American oak barrels. The result is smooth and lasting with notes of vanilla and baked bread layered over a bed of toasted oak. On the other hand, the award-winning Straight Rye Whiskey gets its rest in toasted oak cigar barrels, air-dried in the low-lying mountain region of Vosges, France. This unique, proprietary finishing creates a smoother, incredibly approachable rye with notes of citrus, coriander, and spice. Heaven's Door Highway 61 is a limited-edition expression that is a blend of 5 different juices: 3 different batches of their Tennessee Bourbon and 2 batches of Straight Rye Whiskey. It's 69% bourbon, 31% rye, and 100% something special. The resulting blend is one-of-a-kind and truly unique, complex, and impressive, and available in super-limited (think single cask!) quantity.

Du Nord is the brainchild of Chris Montana, who decided to open a distillery in his home city of Minneapolis in 2013. It's a family-run operation that combines Chris' city-smarts with Shanelle Montana's country spirit. The craft spirits company has since grown considerably from a garage-type distilling project and works to bring minorities and members of underrepresented communities into their family. The name Du Nord is a tribute to Minnesota's title of "The Star of the North." They offer tours of the Du Nord distillery and operate a Du Nord Cocktail room on the premises. Their lineup currently consists of the L'Etoile Du Nord sipping vodka, Fitzgerald Gin (a London dry and old world style hybrid), Apple Du Nord apple liqueur, and Caf Frieda coffee liqueur. Each and every one of these has garnered awards from some of the most prestigious spirits competitions. Du Nord Mixed Blood Blended Whiskey is the newest member of the Du Nord family. It's an in-house bourbon that has a high-rye mash bill and is blended with sourced whiskeys for a profile that is rye-forward, fruity, spicy, and pleasantly sweet. It's aged for two years before being bottled at 80 proof.

Situated along the banks of the River Derwent on the island of Tasmania, Sullivans Cove was the site of one of Britain's first penal colonies in Australia. In 1804, at the order of the Governor King of the British settlement of New South Wales, Lt. John Bowen transported some of the most heinous British criminals to Sullivans Cove, which eventually developed into the city of Hobart. Hobart was the perfect penal colony the area's dense forests required a huge labor force in order to establish a settlement, and its isolation and inaccessibility ensured there was no escape. Today, the island of Tasmania remains one of the most isolated and natural places on earth approximately 37% of the island is protected as natural reserves. Sullivans Cove Single Malt Tasmanian Whisky is made from barley grown exclusively on the island of Tasmania. "The island's deep red basalt soil, pure water and mild temperatures result in a barley that is perfect for distillation," says Patrick Maguire, the distillery's founder and master distiller (his ancestors were convicts that were imprisoned on the island). In addition, the island has one of the oldest and strictest quarantine programs in the world, ensuring that the barley remains untainted. Once the barley has been harvested, it is malted at the Cascade Brewery by Roger Ibbott, who has over four decades of experience malting barley. The malted barley is then mashed and fermented at Sullivans Cove Distillery using a unique strain of yeast developed specifically for the production of Sullivans Cove Whisky. Then, the wash is distilled twice through a handmade copper-pot still. "The real trick is to cut the run short, so that only the sweetest, best flavors and purest alcohol from the heart of the run is captured", says Macguire. "It's not the most sensible approach by an accountant's standards, but then it's a good thing that we are not accountants!" Their American Oak Single Cask is master distiller Patrick Maguire's favorite expression and the one in their lineup to have garnered the most accolades over the years. The first Australian whisky to achieve a Liquid Gold Award in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible, this spirit spends around 13 years in ex-bourbon casks (it's done when it's done!), before being bottled at 95 proof. It's a great showcase of the style of the distillery with its rich and creamy profile that has plenty of vanilla, caramel, and fruit notes.

After many years in the making, the inaugural release of Courage & Conviction is now available.  Inspired by the guiding principle of our founder Dr. George G. Moore, to “have the courage of your convictions,” our flagship American Single Malt whisky is a combination of our passion for our home in Virginia and our dream to redefine American whisky. Aged a minimum of three years, this 100% malted barley whisky is matured in former Sherry, Bourbon and Cuvée wine casks. With notes of caramel and butterscotch, Courage & Conviction, our flagship American Single Malt, evolves on the palate with hints of bright red fruit, raspberry, cocoa, barrel spice and vanilla. The finish is creamy and exceptionally smooth.

Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Rosso Vermouth, and Martha Outlaw’s Liqueur are blended into a Boulevardier and then aged in oak barrels. After we taste and determine it is worthy to be labeled Barrelsmith, we bottle at full strength, 30% ABV (60 proof). We source our aged whiskey from an award-winning distillery. Our own Rosso Vermouth is made from California wine grapes and natural flavors. Martha Outlaw created her unique liqueur specifically for craft cocktails destined for aging in barrels. All-natural ingredients, no artificial flavors or colors added.

2021 IWSC Spirits Trophy Winners

Straight Rye Whiskey and Rosso Vermouth are blended into a Manhattan and then aged in oak barrels. After we taste and determine it is worthy to be labeled Barrelsmith, we then bottle at full strength, 35% ABV (70 proof). We source our aged whiskey from an award-winning distillery. Our own Rosso Vermouth is made from California wine grapes and natural flavors. Barrelsmith Orange Bitters are added after the barrel aging is complete to add a hint of a bright citrus taste. All-natural ingredients, no artificial flavors or colors added.

2021 IWSC Spirits Trophy Winners