VIRGINIA HIGHLAND MALT JANUARY COCKTAIL

We hope you’ve had a chance to try our Virginia Highland Malt. The initial reviews from whisky/whiskey bloggers has been terrific, but please let us know what you think.  In addition to being a fine sipping whisky,it is also perfect for the growing trend of dark spirit cocktails for two reasons. Barley-based spirits have a cleaner taste than corn-based ones and our 92 proof doesn’t let the whisky get lost in mixers. Here’s the January cocktail (pictured here) to try:

THE COPPER BARLEY

• Muddle an orange peel in a cocktail shaker with 3/4 oz sweet vermouth* and dash each of orange and Angostura bitters.
• Add 3 oz. of Virginia Highland Malt and stir with ice.
• Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel.

*A word about vermouth, especially sweet vermouth. All brands are not created equal. In fact some are downright bad. One brand that’s particularly good is Dolin’s. There are others but that’s a good place to start. For folks in Virginia, it can be special-ordered by the ABC but some wine stores carry it. In Cville, we get it at Food of All Nations, which also has some nice hard-to-find artisan bitters.

Having said a fond farewell to the last bottle of Eades Double Malt. We began working on our new whisky. Our next concept needed to continue the quality of Eades, but with a distinct taste of Virginia. Thus the idea for Virginia Highland Malt Whisky was born.

Five months ago, we imported a fine vatted Highland malt from Scotland. A beautiful whisky in and of itself with lovely acacia honey and ginger notes as well as complexity. Given the success of the wine finishes in our Eades whiskies, we had already decided to finish it in wine casks, but this time in casks used to age Virginia wines.

We considered casks from varietals Virginia is known for — Viognier, Norton, Cabernet Franc. But we finally decided on a fortified wine. Virginia port-style wines would add deep complexity and nice, natural color to a whisky that arrived the color of chardonnay.

Our plan was to finish it at the distillery and bottle it with one of the local wine bottling trucks that offer amazing value. The government had other plans for us. We had applied for our distillery license in the Spring — and then we waited, and waited and waited. Time was running out if we were going to be ready for whisky season beginning in the fall. We did have one bit of luck in all this.

The Highland malt was imported through Kentucky due to the vagaries of finding the best value for international shipping, and we had been storing it at a bonded warehouse in Kentucky, Strong Spirits Inc. Instead of being just a warehouse, Strong is a full service bottler and it turns out an experienced partner. Spirits they bottle include Angel’s Envy (so they were already familiar with wine finishes), Redemption Rye, 1776 Rye, Temptation Bourbon and many more small brands as well as special projects for the big guys.

So we shipped the wine casks we would need for the first bottling to Strong and began a summer filled with eight hour drives to Bardstown and weekly FedEx 4 oz. sample packages to monitor the whisky’s progression in the wine casks. We watched as the flavors deepened and the color progressed from a scary pink to a rich copper. I’ll post more on some of the more interesting decisions we made along the way. But here are some photos of the process I hope we WON’T replicate in the future. Stay tuned!

Here’s a picture of the actual stills and the all important spirit safe that went into place at the Virginia Distillery Company last week.

While there is correctly much attention paid to the beautiful copper pot stills. It’s equally important to pay attention to the spirit safe. This equipment allows the distiller to monitor when to “make the cut” for the whisky. Using a hydrometer, he monitors to find the sweet spot in the center of the distillation and either dispose of or re-distill the heads-and-tails as they’re known in Kentucky or the feints and foreshots in Scotland. The smaller the margin allowed, the higher quality of the spirit. That’s why you can tell the potential quality the whisky has before it ever goes into a barrel to age.

Using a crane small enough to fit inside the distillery, we set the stills in their operating position today. They now sit on stands specially fabricated by a roller coaster company on the West Coast — undisputed experts in bent metal.

In this photo the still is sitting on the ground floor. This view is from the mezzanine.

Jeff Fletcher attached the crane to the still and is beginning to lift it…

Here’s the first glimpse of the copper pot still emerging through the floor. Mark Bibb ias topside to make sure it doesn’t hit the sides coming up…

Here’s it lifts high enough to allow the platform to slide underneath…

Jeff Fletcher and Jim Taggart are leveling the platform precisely so that the still can be lowered for its final placement. Next — placing the swan necks

After a significant hiatus, construction on the distillery has begun anew. For the exterior, the windows and doors were completed this week to seal the building in for winter. The tanks are being moved to their final position.

It may be a big multinational, but Brown and Foreman did everything right for its brand, Woodford Reserve. The company imported not two but three copper pot stills from Scotland (Naturally I think we can assume this is a concession to the superiority of single malt over bourbon.)  and resurrected a distillery that had lain dormant for decades. It’s an absolute gem.

You begin your trip with a fairly long drive through farms and fields that ends with a stone distillery and stone warehouses connected by rails to roll the whisk(e)y barrels. You feel that it’s just as it was at the turn of the last century. They use a blend of corn, rye and malted barley that is fermented in open wood vats. The distillation takes place in batches in three separate stills. Most bourbons are made continuously in column stills even if they say small batch on their labels.

Conor O’Driscoll, Woodford’s distiller, explains that the company takes wood very seriously and allows its new barrels to dry before using them. The warehouse is heated and cooled to achieve the extremes they’ve found to be ideal for their bourbon.

The visitor’s center features lots of gear, tastings and free bourbon chocolates for guests and a restaurant with a view of the distillery. If you’re in Kentucky, go!

Last week, John and I traveled to Kentucky to research different approaches to warehousing spirits, source barrels for our own whisky and meet people who’ve been making bourbon whiskey for decades. Through the gracious introductions of our host, Rick Barney of Malteurop, we saw many different approaches to distilling and brought home some great ideas.

Our first stop was Alltech Lexington Brewing Co. They, like VDC, are distilling single malt in authentic copper pot stills, making them unique in Kentucky, the land of corn whiskey. For now, Alltech’s primary product  is exceptional beer. The top seller is Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. With a single sip, you notice the remarkable influence  aging beer in bourbon barrel brings. With the second taste, you notice the quality influence of Chris Lady, who oversees the brewing of this exceptional ale. 

Our next stop, Woodford Reserve…

When you go to Juleps in Richmond’s historic River District, first take note of the wonderful details in the design of the space. They’ve left exquisite architectural details in place — crossbeams in open ceiling with ceiling fan cooling the top floor dining room — and complemented it with interesting art and nice details. But what you will remember is the food. They are scrupulously sourcing locally for the freshest ingredients and sourcing artisan producers when strictly local isn’t available (e.g. Hudson River Fois Gras).

Last weekend, Juleps hosted a special brunch featuring a free tasting of our Eades Double Malt and showcasing the restaurant’s Southern fare. The collard greens cooked with ham hocks were beyond authentic, and, bless them, the cornbread wasn’t sugar sweet. In tasted like bread not dessert. The chicken and dumplings were tasty along with sweet potatoes and other regional dishes. For us, the bar was the big seller. Bobby Kruger, Julep’s star bartender created a full list of creative and tasty cocktails that featured our Eades Double Malts to their best.

There’s always the camp of folk who justifiably argue that our whiskies should be enjoyed neat or with a splash, but artisan bartenders are appreciating the complexity and variety that each Double Malt offers. It’s similar to the careful choice of bitters — or making their own — and using only freshly squeezed juices and bar-made tonics. Those differences can transform a beverage.

Here’s a few of Bobby’s drinks he prepared to accompany the brunch:

Ring Ding Diddie — Eades Highland Doublemalt, Unfiltered Sake, Fresh Lemon, Egg White, Vanilla Simply Syrup, Fig balsamic reduction drizzle

Last Word — Eades Speyside Doublemalt, Drambuie, Orange Flower Water, Fresh Orange Juice

Bramble — Eades Highland Doublemalt, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Fresh Lemon, Fresh Basil, Blackberry Pink Peppercorn Puree

Employees Islay — Eades Islay Doublemalt, Green Chartreuse, Canton Ginger Liqueur, Aztec Chocolate Bitters, Chili-lime syrup, fresh lime

When I go back to Juleps, I’m going to have the Low Country Bouillabaisse: Crayfish, Grouper and Mussels,Tasso Ham and Okra and maybe start with the cornmeal crusted sweetbreads. The website has the full menu: www.juleps.net to help plan your visit!