Jun 17, 20223 min read

Steel Horse Honey Whisky

A Head Distiller, Reel Adams, took the time to give us a more detailed overview of the upcoming Steel Horse Honey Whisky. Read on to find the behind the scenes information on this product!

Process:

This whisky is an fascinating glimpse into the multiple uses along the long lifespan of whisky barrels. The first maturation of the whisky comes from a 3 month soak on toasted american oak cubes to begin building the flavour. Then finishing barrels are what really set this whisky apart. The 30 gallon, charred, American oak barrel started its life as bourbon barrels at another distillery, then were used to age our Steel Horse Whisky. After the barrels' second use in whisky making they were sent down the line to our friends at Asheville Bee Charmer to impart some of our delicious whisky notes into their honey. The barrels were filled with a blend of clover and wildflower honeys and left to mature for 4 months. After their use in aging the honey we got our barrels back and were surprised to see they still had loads of crystalized honey sugar inside the barrels. This sparked an idea. If whisky barrels could be used to age honey and impart their unique flavour, why couldn't the same process work the other way? So we decided to find out. We filled the barrels with our 60% corn 40% barley whiskey, the same whisky base found in our limited-release Steel Horse Whisky. This first barrel rested for 6 months before it reached its optimal impact from the honey. However, when we pulled it out we were shocked by how much richness and sweetness the honey had brought to the whisky. We figured this special barrel had more to offer. So, naturally, we decided to try the same thing again and see what happened. The same barrel (now with less visible honey in it, but still plenty of good flavour soaked into the wood) was refilled with more fresh whisky and allowed to age another 6 months. The second barrel fill still had a good, prominent, and rich palette without the intense sweetness found in the first go round. The answer to this enigma was found in a blend of the two different barrel fills and striking the delicate balance of a sweet yet still impactful whisky. At this point we knew we were onto a really special product. In fact our distillation team decided there was nothing we could do to make it better. We didn't filter, proof-down, sweeten, or change the delicious liquid that came out of that barrel. Just put it straight into bottles the same way it tasted when we first blended the two whisky barrel fills together in the still house. Unlike other honey whiskys you may see on the market we let this product come into being as naturally as possible. We didn't use any artificial honey flavouring extracts, we didn't use a basic whisky blended with a honey liqueur. We simply let a barrel go out into the world to pick up new and exciting flavours then bring them back to the barrel house to mingle easily with our already tasty whisky.

Tasting notes:

Butterscotch, Partially caramelized Creme brulee , Vanilla, Dark Carmel, Toffee, Toasted Wood Astringency, The sweetness of the honey is coating. Despite being cask strength (107.5 proof) it comes across as really mild due to the balancing factor of sweetness.

Reel Adams,

Head Distiller