by Jay Erisman, EQ Wine and Spirits Manager
Just last week I wrote about an American craft distiller. Now, at the risk of wearing out a topic, I want to hip you to another one, this time much closer to home. Woodstone Creek is a winemaker and microdistiller based in Cincinnati, Ohio, right across the river from our cooking school. We’ve sold their vodka for a couple of years now. This past week brought the world premiere of an exciting new bottle: Woodstone Creek Bourbon, the first Bourbon made in Ohio since the end of Prohibition. And what a Bourbon it is…
Woodstone Creek is the labor and love of Don and Linda Outterson. Don has worked in wine and beer making for many years, as a brewer, selling winery and brewery equipment as well as consulting to microbreweries. He founded Woodstone Creek in 1999 as a rural farm winery, and in 2001 moved it smack in the middle of urban Greater Cincinnati. They make about 12 different wines, plus some meads. Don started distilling in 2001, and set about distilling Bourbon and malt whiskey, to age while his white spirits hit the market. Woodstone Creek Vodka, a 100% corn vodka made from scratch that rates highly in our blind tastings.
The Bourbon is pretty special stuff. Don calls it “five grain, triple malt Bourbon,” and he is not exaggerating. Both white and yellow corn are used, plus malted barley, malted rye, and malted wheat. The three small grains (barley, rye, wheat) each stew in their own malt enzymes during the starch conversion cook. Despite all the flavor grains, the whiskey has a balanced spice profile, and surprising richness despite what must be a relatively young age. The lofty price reflects all this grain goodness, as malted grains and two kinds of corn cost quite a bit more than the usual Bourbon recipe.
Don’s next release will be the malt whiskey, and soon after that a bierschnapps, distilled Red Leg Ale from Cincinnati’s Barrelhouse Brewery. Keep your eye on this local distillery, as they are just getting started.
Woodstone Creek Bourbon $80.99
