I know, I know. It’s a Thursday. “Why post Whiskey Wednesday on a Thursday?!” you may find yourself asking. Well, there’s a great reason for it, and that’s because I was - in fact - celebrating the lovely middle of the week with a downright phenomenal bottle out in the woods. Nestled cozily in my hammock in the foggy banks and bends of American Fork Canyon, I was able to enjoy a few drams to myself before resting in the fog and cold, with a flirtatious full moon fading in and out of the fall-leaved forest. (wew)
Before going too far into the review, I wanted to thank my good friend Nate for picking this bottle up for me while he was out of state. I don’t often get help or donations to the collection, and I really appreciate this! An incredibly thoughtful gift that I hope I can do justice for. It’s one of the best bottles I’ve been gifted!
Arcola Whiskey
”Bourbon mash” whiskey
Carpenter, WY, USA
~$49.99
40% / 80 Proof
Nose - Very welcoming… Warm, frosted sugar and peach, with vanilla and caramel notes that tickle every part of your being, like pulling the lid from a cast iron dutch oven that has been baking a peach cobbler over a fire for the past few hours.
Palette - A bit more modest and mild than the nose, coming off with a very subtle aloe / menthol rye sensation, moving then into some familiar vanilla and caramel, then blending together and flattening out without ever overwhelming the senses, with a few points of very slight, smokey flavors… Is that peat? It couldn’t be…
Finish - Cinnamon and spice that lingers for a moderate duration with becoming to fearsome. A very subtle, warming sensation.
Thoughts - I really, really enjoy this whiskey, especially the nose, which truly is the highlight through the entire profile. There’s something for everyone in this whiskey, except maybe Islay cultists, who could find the taste a bit underwhelming. I’m happy to see new craft distilleries starting up, and after reading the bottle, I was able to infer a bit more about why they don’t have a definitive classification on this “bourbon mash” whiskey; Arcola Distillery only started operations back in 2017, which would legally exclude them from any type of formal bourbon production. They likely have some barrels aging as we speak, with the intention of filling that very specific, legally binding bottle label: Bourbon. And until then, I’ll be following these guys closely, because that’s what I am really wanting to come out of the bottle and the only piece of negative critique I have: This whiskey is just too soft! It’s approachable, and the nose has a ton going for it, but the flavors come off a bit bland in the bottle, and I think a few years age in some moderately roasted white oak barrels would do the recipe a great deal of good.
*Edit and Update as of 10.18.2019
Wow! I was recently able to get in contact with the owner and head distiller of Arcola, an intriguing and kind-spirited man by the name of Mike Borg, who had some incredible details to share about the Arcola whiskey that isn’t readily available on the bottle. For a start, this distillery is very likely, if not assuredly, the smallest distillery in North America; which is both baffling and revealing in as to the whiskey’s well-mastered presentation. Mike was also able to tell me about something I had not noticed prior to our conversation; After a while, there will be a bit of a dark, dusty substance collect at the bottom of the bottle. This is actually remnants of the barrel char that made it through the filtration process. This process is different than the Chill Filtration system that most modern distilleries use, and makes for a more natural, full-bodied flavor, while also offering the that micron-level char impart further aged flavors in the whiskey, even after it has been bottled. It is rumored, Mike told me, that the whispy, near ethereal pattern that the char lies in, like a black swirl in the bottom, is why alcoholic beverages become known as spirits.
Another awesome tidbit of info about Arcola; It is a 100% natural and organic bottle. I was surprised and humbled to hear that Arcola sources it’s ingredients very close to home, with the bourbon coming from Mike’s cousin and the rest of the mash bill coming from less than 40 miles away in a given direction, all verified organic. The water that goes into the bottles is even sourced directly from his own homestead’s well, 80ft deep and as pure as crystal. Learning so much about this whiskey was an absolute treat, and he was able to tell me a few more secrets that you’ll all be able to learn about in the not-too-distant future. As stated above, this is a distillery to watch, and after this interaction, it is truly a product I can get behind. This is a really cool project backed with a lot of love and passion, and I think it shows in every aspect of Arcola’s offering.
About the photos - As I had mentioned early, I took this bottle out with me last night for a nice over-night hang out. It had been raining all day here and the temperatures had dropped substantially, giving us some snowy peaks not far from where I was to be posted. It was high time I went out to combine my passion for the outdoors with my admiration of good whiskey, and - for the most part - it was a great time. I picked up a brand spank'in new spinning reel for my pole that casts and retrieves like a dream (Pflueger President 30), and although I didn’t pull anything out of the water, I did snag one of the greatest fighters I’ve ever had on the other end of the line, on a 1/2oz golden Kastmaster.
After a few hours at the reservoir, the clouds started to roll in and transform into fog before my eyes. I was able to get about 2 miles further up a dirt road from there and set up camp, no neighbors in sight or scent. As the fog came in and out, rolling between the dying fall landscape, I couldn’t help but feel an absolutely magical sensation of child-like elation. The spirit of Halloween was certainly up there with me in those mountains, and a part of me had wished Jason Vorhees would show up to share a few pulls on the bottle with me. I’m very excited to see what the rest of fall brings and I hope I can get up in the mountains during this fairy-tale season. The only downside to taking a unique and delicate whiskey with you on a campout in the cold… The flavor profile almost entirely disappears as the bottle chills. I was only able to take a few drams worth myself before I deemed the process inappropriate for such a nice whiskey, and opted to take a few photos instead, before getting in bed for an early retirement. When I woke, the cool fog was apparently so dense that all of my gear was nearly soaking wet from condensation. I’ve ever had anything like that happen before, and had to dry my gear more intently than even some of the most fearsome thunderstorms I’ve been through. What an awesome night, and one I will cherish the memory of for quite some time.
