There is no doubt that Stephen Osborn has finally found his true calling. Already a very good winemaker, Stephen has recently produced a string of very impressive clear spirits. But every indication was that his brown spirits would soar. The first of those promises have been produced!
Stephen does everything meticulously. He soaks and malts his own grains on one of the few malting floors owned and operated by a distillery (anywhere in the US), and using local grain, he is salting away barrel after barrel of rye, bourbon, and single malt whiskey. He has four stills, and can run a capacity which instantly makes him competitive. His newest baby is a copper pot still from renowned whiskey icon Chip Tate of Tate & Co. in Texas.
I recently saw Kim Wagner, Stephen's wife and partner at the Bounty of the Hudson Wine and Food Festival. She gave me a taste of their two new brown whiskey releases - Auld Auster, a lovely, smooth, triple distilled Irish Whiskey. it was a very good version of that spirit. And very tasty.
But I cannot lie, all I could see was the rye on the table. I am a rye fan, and had been longing to taste this dram since I first tasted his experimental efforts late last year.
This first offering of Stoutridge Rye is astonishing. It is a rye with a lot of flavor, but light as a feather, somewhat very akin to Willett. There's no other way to describe it. It comes on with a mellow attack that builds. It almost tastes like a wheated whiskey at first, and then the spice and the pepper begin to take hold in the mouth, and the next thing you know the whole thing ends up like a peppery gingersnap cookie. Incredible! You must try this whiskey....phenomenal.
Congrats to Stephen and Kim! Amazing!
