I like whisky.
I have several bottles in my office. What can I say, the days of Mad Men looked fun.
Recently I received an unexpected and very welcome gift from
Copper Fox Distillery in tiny Sperryville, VA (population 342): a bottle each of Wasmund’s Single Malt
Whisky and Copper Fox Rye Whisky. We did a tasting at the Lamb Supper Club. They’re
not completely empty yet, but there certainly won’t be any dust gathering on
them.
First, a warning.
Despite my proclivity toward whisky (and fun), I don’t have an expert’s
palate. Second, an entreaty. Don’t take my word for it – try these
whiskies yourself.
Wasmund's Single Malt is both malted and distilled on the
foothills of Appalachia by a small family operation. The distillers take local barley, malt it with local water,
smoke-dry it with local fruit-wood, mash it with more local water, distill it,
age it in local barrels, and bottle-proof it with more local water. If you
didn’t notice, the key word here is “local,” as in all the ingredients
are local.
The single malt itself is usually less than a year old in
age; the small barrels and fruit-wood chips present in each barrel accelerate
the maturation. This is one of the
reasons it differs from what one would think of as a typical aged Scotch. In addition, the Wasmund’s single malt
is darker and redder than a typical Scotch, has more of a smoky wood flavor
than smoky peat moss, and has a hint of cherry sweetness that makes it
exceedingly pleasant and accessible.
The Wasmund’s single malt is so unique because it defies
many attributes that are characteristic of a Scotch, while simultaneously
sharing many classic Scotch virtues.
For the $35 or so for which it retails, it is a very worthy alternative
to many more expensive but inferior 12-year single malts. And you can feel good knowing that by
imbibing, you are helping the revival of great all-American craft
distillers. I give it an “I love
it” rating.
The Copper Fox Rye is also nice but a little more difficult
to conquer for me personally. They
mix 2/3 rye, 1/3 hand malter barley – no corn. The label is very coolly handwritten, with the date and
number on each bottle. Handwritten
labels make the purchaser feel like a rock star. The rye is not sweet but cherry is definitely
detectable. I’m a cherry fan, so I
like it. Purchase a bottle or two
online and you’ll prove that you’re a sophisticated chap. Share your precious nectar with a truly good
friend and you’ll not only be a sophisticated chap but a happy one, too.
By: Corey Then
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