International Review of Spirits Award: Gold Medal
Bright copper color. Aromas of grain husk and sack, honeyed whole nuts, and carob powder with a supple, dryish medium body and a distinct raisin poppy seed pastry, mocha, and peppery spice driven finish. A rock-solid, grain driven young rye whisky.
International Review of Spirits Award: Gold Medal
Bright copper color. Aromas of buttered raisin toast, figs, roasted nuts, dried flowers. and grain husk with a supple, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a lively, honeycomb and sweet and peppery spice flourish on the finish. A charming and flavorful choice for cocktails or sipping.
International Review of Spirits Award: Gold Medal
Copper color. Aromas of wet honeyed grain, dried fruit, potter’s clay, and putty with a silky, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a long, dried peach, cracked pepper, brown spice, and pencil shaving accented finish. A very distinctive and distinguished American single malt whiskey.
“In a way, the surprising thing about American malt whiskey is not that it exists, but that it took so long to come around. Corn and rye may be the traditional American whiskey grains, but most of today’s craft distillers come from a brewing background, in which working with malted barley is the core of the business.”
HUDSON SINGLE MALT WHISKEY (Tuthilltown Spirits, Gardiner, N.Y.)
Look for baking spices, oak and pepper on the nose, with more pepper and a touch of vanilla on the palate.
“Prior to the days of prohibition, more than 1,000 distillers produced alcohol from New York grains and fruits. Hudson Valley’s Tuthilltown Spirits has taken the lead in bringing back this tradition of small batch distillation and are well on their way to becoming a world-class distillery.
For 220 years Tuthilltown Gristmill, a landmark which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, used waterpower to render local grains to flour. In 2003, Ralph Erenzo and Brian Lee launched Tuthilltown Spirits, effectively converting one of the mill granaries into a micro-distillery.”
“It doesn’t get any more American than bourbon. Ever since Elijah Craig from Kentucky distilled his whiskey from corn mash and opened a distillery in 1789, bourbon has become the adopted spirit of the U.S. And it continues to be a passionately guarded tradition. Although its origins are debated, Bourbon most likely got its name from Bourbon County, located in the central Bluegrass region of Kentucky, and named to honor the French Royal Family. The region once housed the major shipping ports for distilled spirits heading down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, and Bourbon and Whiskey soon became synonymous.”
“Bartenders in New York made news a couple of years ago when they began aging cocktails like Negronis in small oak bourbon casks from upstate New York’s Tuthilltown Spirits. Now, bourbon cask-aged chocolate, maple syrup, hot sauce and soy sauce—all kissed with bourbon’s caramel, vanilla and smoky flavors—are showing up at gourmet shops and on menus at restaurants including Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., David Chang’s Momofuku in New York and Husk in Charleston, S.C.”
“Tuthilltown Spirits uses local wheat and apples from the Hudson Valley in New York state to create its round, smooth and slightly sweet Half Moon Orchard gin.”
“Fortunately, in 2002, Gov. George Pataki signed into law a bill creating a new and more affordable distilling license, and in 2003, Tuthilltown Spirits started up in the Hudson Valley. Now, the region is dotted with distilleries, and you can’t throw a rock in Brooklyn without hitting a fledgling liquor venture.
And with the recent launch of Atsby Vermouth, New York’s first vermouth in years, it’s finally possible to make a “native” Manhattan as well as a number of other Empire State-themed tipples using entirely homegrown spirits and bitters.”
“Whiskey is the largest spirit export from the United States to China, accounting for 76% of the market in 2011. That said, given China’s population of over 1.2 billion – one might expect the total US spirit export market (to China) to exceed a not-so-hefty $6.1 million. (And interestingly, this number is up 518% since 2000.) The Distilled Spirits Coucil of the United States is looking to drastically improve these numbers by bringing a collection of America’s finest whiskey producers to Hong Kong and Guangzhou for a series of promotional events.”