Hello Fellow WhiskeyLovers – 

An enthusiastic, if somewhat belated, “Happy May Day” to you all.  

As any of you may are probably aware, “May Day” is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night.   Despite considerable time spent in consternation yesterday afternoon, I was unable to find  a finer way to celebrate the day than to raise a glass of whisky…and so I did.

Feeling in the mood for a “local” whiskey, a few moments of thought culminated in my snatching a bottle I acquired this past February when Ian Buxton, in the US for a few distillery visits and Burns Nights, and I hopped in my car and drove a couple of hours north from my home to visit with distillery founder Ralph Erenzo and the team at Tuthilltown Spirits. 

Ian and Ralph and a Chuckle

For those of you not familiar with Tuthilltown, the distillery is located in the exquisitely beautiful Hudson Valley region of  NY state, and was the the first whiskey distillery to open in New York since prohibition. The distillery is located adjacent to the Tuthilltown Gristmill, a 220 year old landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, that used waterpower to render local grains to flour.

In 2001 Ralph Erenzo and Vicki Morgan acquired the property and with the help of partner Brian Lee,  converted one of the mill granaries to a micro-distillery.  Two and a half years later, Tuthilltown Spirits produced their first batches of vodka from scraps they collected at a local apple slicing plant.

The distillery now produces a whole range of spirits, from fruits grown at orchards less than 5 miles away and grain harvested by farmers less than 10 miles away, that include a rum and vodka, Baby Bourbon, Manhattan Rye, and of course a Single Malt.  Which brings me to this weeks Whiskey Selection featured whiskey: Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Single Malt Whiskey

Hudson Single Malt Whiskey is made with whole ground malted barley and nothing else and is aged in small new oak casks. The new oak contributes a deeper woody affect to the spirit, and aging this way is a departure from traditional single malt “Scotch”. But what is truly amazing and innovative is the use of sound to expedite the aging process.

The Ceiling and Speakers in the Aging Room

The aging room has four large speakers in the corners.  At night, as Ralph explained to us, they pump a steady stream of the loud, bass-resonating-cask-vibration-causing music into the room. This causes the liquid in the barrels to vibrate and ripple, thereby exposing more liquid to more wood….faster.

The result is single-malt whiskey that is an American reinterpretation of traditional Scottish and Irish whiskies. Bottles at 92 proof, Hudson Single Malt stands up nicely to a splash of water, which releases aroma and softens the spirit on your lips.   Produced in very small batches, Hudson Single Malt is a terrific whisky that should be a proud American addition to your bar.

And with the help of our man Nicky The Neck” – who has a friend who’s got a friend – we’ve been able to acquire a limited quantity of the whiskey at a phenomenal price: Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Single Malt Whiskey for $39.95/ bottle. 

I urge you to give this wonderful American interpretation of single-malt whiskey a try.  You will be very glad you did. 

And until next week…have fun!

Doug StoneFounderForWhiskeyLovers.com