Bourbons

[ggiese]

What a VERY timely thread...

So the wifey and I have a new "hobby". We've found a bunch of real nice wineries in SW Michigan - so about once a month we take some time off and head over there to do tours. This last weekend we went to the Round Barn Winery tasting room and enjoyed a selection of their wines. Some awfully nice stuff!!! But - was told by their staff that we MUST visit the Journeyman Distilleries just a few miles away (Three Oaks, MI.) Momma and I headed there....

The distillery is within the 1850's era "Featherbone Factory". Long story short - a young man built a huge business making corsets and buggy whips from turkey feather bones. He was one of the richest men of his day. And - he was also a huge prohibitionist. Ironically - over 150 years later his original factory is now a distillery. We did the tour and sampled 180 proof bourbon straight out of the still (WOWZA!!! - thankfully the "matured" product is MUCH better).

After the tour we sampled each of the spirits they distill (Gin, Rum, Bourbon, Rye, Single Malt, Jalapeno Spirit, Coffee Spirit, etc.). All were equally incredible in their own right. We highly recommended the tour if you're in the area...

[badwhale]

I see tasting events etc. in my future!

From their website:

Journeyman Distillery Traveling Barrel Program allows you to purchase a new whiskey barrel with the option of decorating the barrel before it is filled. You will be informed when your spirit has reached maturity and may then return to Journeyman Distillery to pick up your barrel and included bottles. The included bottles will come from your personal barrel. Aging times are only estimates, and completion of aging is subject to our distillers discretion. Options begin at $199.

Pretty cool.

[ashauler]

I see tasting events etc. in my future!

From their website:

Journeyman Distillery Traveling Barrel Program allows you to purchase a new whiskey barrel with the option of decorating the barrel before it is filled. You will be informed when your spirit has reached maturity and may then return to Journeyman Distillery to pick up your barrel and included bottles. The included bottles will come from your personal barrel. Aging times are only estimates, and completion of aging is subject to our distillers discretion. Options begin at $199.

Pretty cool.

Damn, that is a pretty sweet deal.

So, George, did you sample enough of the Rye to describe in a little more detail?

[ggiese]

Damn, that is a pretty sweet deal.

So, George, did you sample enough of the Rye to describe in a little more detail?

I had a favorite Rye in Templeton's - but I think I now have a new favorite!

The problem with sampling so many spirits at one time is trying to remember what one of the spirits tasted like out of all of them.

I did, though, specifically recall their "aged" gin. It tasted like whisky gin - but theirs is not a regular gin - they use bilberries with the juniper berries. The unaged gin did not taste like any other gin I've had (a much more subtle flavor). Aging the gin in whisky barrels made it a very unique whiskey like spirit. It intrigued me - not what I was expecting. Like whisky - but with a very subtle gin taste...

[illilli]

What a VERY timely thread...

...

After the tour we sampled each of the spirits they distill (Gin, Rum, Bourbon, Rye, Single Malt, Jalapeno Spirit, Coffee Spirit, etc.). All were equally incredible in their own right. We highly recommended the tour if you're in the area...

Sounds like I'd need to bring a driver or maybe two!

[ggiese]

Sounds like I'd need to bring a driver or maybe two!

We made it home no problem - I covered my right eye and my wife covered her left eye. It reduced the numbers of things we were seeing making diving much easier...