Van Brunt Stillhouse: The Artisanal Whisky Haven

Van Brunt Stillhouse is an artisanal brewery located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. Named after Cornelius Van Brunt, one of the neighbourhood’s founding fathers, it dates back to the pre-Prohibition era. The distillery sources local ingredients for its whiskies, which have a mash bill of a minimum of 51 percent rye. They are unfiltered, and aged in charred oak barrels of American oak. There are four main types of whiskey that are produced here.

The Van Brunt Stillhouse American Whiskey is a four grain whiskey, primarily made from wheat and malted barley, with traces of corn and rye. Its sweetness is reminiscent of bourbon, with strong floral notes. Van Brunt Stillhouse Malt Whiskey is made with 100 percent malted barley, and contains notes of roasted nuts and caramel. It is aged in new barrels for over nine months, which infuses it with a rich, earthy character from the wood, and truly brings out the grain.

The Van Brunt Stillhouse Bourbon Whiskey is a bourbon made with wheat and 65 percent organic state corn. The Van Brunt Stillhouse Rye Whiskey is a new release which draws on previously tested recipes to create a complex and unique brew with the spiciness of rye and the tart-sweet flavour of dried apricots. It has a dry toasted finish, which lingers pleasantly on the tongue.

The distillery offers tours where one can witness and experience the entire production process while sipping on a delicious cocktail. The Tasting Room is open to all, from Thursday to Saturday. Refer to the website for timings. Tours are requested to be booked ahead of time.

Glancing at Glen Grant, Moray's Pride

A small village named Rothes in Moray, situated by the river Spey has been home to Glen Grant since 1840. Brothers James and John Grant, founder of Glen Grant spent years smuggling and distilling whisky illegally, before acquiring a license. It was not hard for the brothers to find an ideal location, since Rothes offered almost all. The sea, the port of Garmouth, the river with acres of barley growing by its plains, Rothes was bountiful in all the basic ingredients that make malt whisky.

Discovering Asian Drams Yoichi Whisky Expedition

An hour west of Sopporo, nestled in the southeastern ridges of Shakotan Peninsula lies Yoichi. This modest Japanese hamlet- miles away from the bluegrass fields of Kentucky and Scottish highlands, is reminiscent of Japan’s one of the most highly coveted Whisky legacies surrounding Masataka Taketsuru- a man revered as the godfather of Japanese Whiskey.

Bakery Hill Distillery, Australia

Having been constantly told over the years that no other place in the world can produce as good single malt whiskies as Scotland, David Baker, a former food scientist, was irked so much, that he began distilling whisky from 1999. He thought if one could understand the process of whisky making at a molecular level, it might be possible to replicate some of the best single malts from Scotland. With that in mind, he followed the traditional procedures which have been practiced for centuries now, and acquired equipment from some of the leading engineering firms from UK. Since he believes that the most important part of the distillery is the still, and that every dimension in the still influences the flavor, aroma, and the character of the whisky, he took great effort in designing the stills. That is how Bakery Hill distillery was born in Victoria, Australia.