Sons of Liberty Spirits Co., South Kingstown, RI
Uprising American Single Malt Whiskey 40%
I first tasted Sons of Liberty at a massive whiskey tasting show in Manhattan before I ever knew anything about them. I didn’t know where they were from or who they were. And out of more than 100 whiskies that day, their products stood out! Done!
Now, having lived in New England, I loved that they were located in South Kingstown, near Charlestown and Exeter and Narragansett. So that cemented it for me. I have been going to those towns since I was a kid. I’ve been writing about wines, beers, and spirits from the region for more than a decade. So the rest was easy.
Sons of Liberty, of course, we a secret society of citizens in the American Colonies, that organized in an attempt to protect the rights of colonists and to oppose unfair taxation. There’s was the famed motto, “No taxation without representation.” Enter Mike Reppucci who thought it would be a good idea to try to make world class whiskey in New England. He founded Sons of Liberty Distilling.
“A little known fact, even among regular whiskey drinkers, is that all whiskey starts as beer,” says Mike. “For years, craft brewers have been producing outstanding seasonal brews, and we saw the opportunity to advance the trend to American craft whiskey.”
That’s when Mike turned to the famed master distiller Dave Pickerell to begin experimenting with recipes using different beers. They finally settled on a stout, which featured 100% barley malts such as Chocolate Malt, Crystal 45, and Biscuit malts among others. They double distilled the beer after it was finished. The aged the distillate in a combination of new, charred American oak and toasted French oak barrels, to give it added complexity.
Nose: Cocoa and coffee come through, along with apples and figs, vanilla and caramel.
Palate: Apple, cocoa, vanilla, caramel and honey all come through. A hint of spice comes through at the end. The finish though is surprisingly vanilla and cream and finishes dry and clean. To me finishes lighter and drier than it smells. Maybe because the roasts suggest it, I was expecting a bit more brown sugar? But that it being picky. This is a wonderful whiskey. Well executed. Beautifully done. Like me, when I first tasted it, it will open your eyes! Strike another blow for the Sons of Liberty and for Rhode Island!
Battle Cry is another exceptional single malt whiskey, but that's a review for another time!
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