North Carolina Bourbon's You Should Be Sipping
Join us as we raise a glass and toast our North Carolina Bourbon makers. June 14 is National Bourbon Day and September was declared “National Bourbon Heritage Month,” by the US senate in 2007, to celebrate the uniquely American history of the spirit. But we all know every month, is bourbon month.
These 10 North Carolina Bourbons, are all worthy of your attention.
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From the mountains to the coast, North Carolina distillers are producing small batch, crafted spirits. And while they all share the regulated, and mandated requirements all bourbons have to meet -- made from 51 percent corn and aged in charred new American oak barrels – they are all uniquely individual. So while we sip these fine Bourbons, we'll keep in mind the wise words of Mark Twain and remember, "too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough."
Broad Branch Distillery was founded in 2013 by long-time friends Nick Doumas and John Fragakis. By late 2014 Broad Branch was distilling in earnest, focusing on whiskey and then rum. "We embraced traditional distillation and barrel aging methods from the very beginning. By applying those methods and ingredients to our spirits and distillation processes, we've been able to craft a uniquely modern take on classic distilled spirits," says Daniel Spivey, Head of Brand Development. "Our goal has always been to distill & bottle world-class spirits right here in Winston-Salem and we're on our way."
The 4-year, Bottled in Bond, single-barrel bourbon is distilled from a unique low rye mash that creates the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. With notes of vanilla cream, tart cherry, and buttery pie crust, Big Winston evokes the big flavors of centuries of North Carolina's most iconic city. "While our standard release is a Bonded Bourbon, we offer multiple Limited Releases throughout the year that give our distillers room to experiment with barrel finishes, unique grains, and different age/proof points.
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On the Nose: Big Winston Bourbon allows the natural sweetness of North Carolina corn to shine. You will be greeted with spiced cherries and vanilla cream aromas.
In the Glass: Bottled at 100 proof and Non-Chill Filtered, Big Winston Bourbon offers a luxurious mouth feel and robust, balanced flavors, both sweet and savory.
Sip: Neat or on the rocks, but at 100 proof, it goes wonderfully in classic Bourbon cocktails.
Cocktail: Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
Visit: Broad Branch Distillery offers tours, tastings, and private events. Visit the website to schedule.
“Bogue Sound Distillery was founded by my father, Richard Chapman,” explains Sissy Chapman. “A few years ago, I think he wanted to start crossing things off his bucket list rather than his honey-do-list. Chemistry was one of his college majors, so this industry is a good fit for him. Our goal of this family-run business is to create exceptional products that are also affordable,” she says. Bogue Sound Distillery is a family-owned and operated business, with father Richard and son Evan the distillers, Sissy works in the lab doing testing and running R&D, and mom Chapman runs the office.
“We are a self-sustaining distillery; from grinding the grain to bottling the finished product, it all takes place right here within the facility,” says Chapman. The John A. P. Conoley is our 105-proof, small-batch bourbon. It is best enjoyed however you personally prefer it. Everyone likes something different. Most of us here at the booze farm prefer it neat or on the rocks, but we encourage people to try it differently. Bourbon on the rocks may not be for you, but our Major Conoley Coffee might be right up your alley.”
On the Nose: Cherry and caramel, fading into tobacco and brown sugar.
In the Glass: Initially, sweet leather gives way to slightly spicy smokiness with delicate nutty essence. A few drops of water open up a smooth buttery feel on the tongue. The finish is short with lingering earthy tones and light cinnamon.
Sip: Best enjoyed neat
Cocktail: Major Conoley Coffee Cocktail: 1.0 oz John A. P. Conoley Bourbon, 1.0 oz Baileys .75 oz RumChata 3.5, Coffee (hot or cold). Pour all ingredients into a coffee cup rimmed with cinnamon sugar. Top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon sugar.
Visit: Tastings and tours of the distillery are Tuesday-Saturday. Bogue Sound actively distills and bottles most weekdays, so customers see various parts of the production process in action.
Founder of End of Days Distillery, Shane Faulkner, recognized the void in Wilmington for a distillery that offered tours and tastings. So, he brought on board several key partners who each brought unique abilities and assets to the team, to inspire Faulkner’s ethos of hard work and hustle. “Our family of premium handcrafted spirits honors our agricultural roots and the timeless values taught to us by the dreamers and doers of the world. Like every great artisan, we know there’s no substitute for local grain-to-glass ingredients and passion for the process,” says Faulkner.
“This bourbon is several years in the making,” says Faulkner. “I had the opportunity to spend time with a dear friend who really knows his bourbon. We worked together on several mash bills and tasted countless barrels that were created well before I started EOD. We made several batches together and sourced local barrels for aging. To this day, we use the same pot still and basic recipes as we continue to put away new whiskeys.”
EOD partnered with a local farmer outside of Pittsboro, NC for their corn which is freshly milled and delivered directly to the distillery door the day it’s needed. They now have plans to source a variety of crops including heirloom styles. “We also use a 2 row malted barley and a touch of rye in our mash bill. We selected our barrels from Speyside Cooperage and age our whiskeys in a traditional 53gal Cask. We chose a #3 char which certainly helps develop the character and color,” says Faulkner.
Throughout the last few years Faulkner has had a chance to sneak a few sips from the ricks and see how time, temperature and the barrel has influenced the profile. The distillery will only be releasing 150 bottles which will be available for reserve to its Cask Collection Members online from the 30th September, with the remaining bottles being released publicly on October 2nd.
On the Nose: Vanilla, caramel and spice from the rye.
In the Glass: Well balanced, smooth, deep amber.
Sip: Neat, no ice or water. Straight up.
Cocktail: EOD Smoked Old Fashioned
Visit: Free tours and tastings and the lounge is open Wed-Sat from 11am-9pm. Reservations/Tours can be booked online.
Fainting Goat Spirits was founded in 2015 by the father and son team, Bill & Andrew Norman. “Fainting Goat Spirits is an award-winning international distillery located in Downtown Greensboro. We proudly distill Tiny Cat Vodka, Emulsion Gin, Fisher’s American Single Malt Whiskey, Fisher’s Straight Rye Whiskey, & Fisher’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon. We are immensely proud of our Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon,” says Andrew Norman, Co-owner and Head Distiller.
Fainting Goat Spirits partners with a small family farm in Marshville, NC, for all of the grain used in their spirits, including Fisher’s Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. Using a mix of local 60% Corn, 30% Rye, and 10% Malted Barley, the bourbon is mashed, distilled, aged, and bottled in Greensboro, NC. “Fisher’s is the first-ever Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon made in North Carolina history. It is aged in handcrafted New American White Oak Barrels for at least 4 years, and each barrel is hand-selected to share with the world,” says Norman.
On the Nose: Light hints of honey and stone fruit, toasted pecans, ripe honey crisp apples, & caramelized brown sugar.
In the Glass: Warm and inviting, Brown butter, warm mulling spices, butterscotch, crème brulee,
Sip: Best enjoyed neat
Cocktail: The Iron Ranger: 2 oz Fisher’s Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, 1 oz Pineapple Juice, .75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice, .5 oz Falernum, .5 oz Simple Syrup, 2 dashes Bitters. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with fresh grated Cinnamon and Mint.
Visit: Tours and tastings at the Downtown Greensboro location Fridays 3–7 pm & Saturdays 1–6 pm. Tours and Tasting are $10 a person and include a tasting of all products and a branded Glencairn Whiskey Glass to take home.
GIA (pronounced Gee-ah) Distillery was established in 2017 by Mark Sorrells and Sal Giaimo. This boutique distillery is located in a train station building built in 1895 in the tiny town of Madison, NC (about 20 minutes north of Greensboro).Sorrells, who is originally from Asheville, NC, already had experience in distillation, when Giaimo, who grew up in Sicily, asked him if he could make grappa. Making the ancient spirit the old fashioned way using the whole grape, juice, stems and skins, their Francesca Grappa established the distillery. They parlayed this experience when crafting the distilleries second release, the FJW Solera Style Bourbon. From crushing the grapes/grain, fermentation, distilling, bottling, and labor intensive solera style ageing, everything is done by hand.
“The FJW Solera Whiskey consists of a bourbon mash bill made up of corn, wheat, barley and rye,” explains Sorrells. “We age the whiskey in an old Spanish tradition that consists of stacking the barrels vertically and only taking a portion from the bottom row of barrels to bottle. The spirits left in the bottom barrel are then refilled from the barrel above and so on until new unaged liquor is added to the top barrel. This causes a mixture of all of the ages and results in a unique taste that makes our product stand apart from most bourbons.”
On the Nose: Roasted apple, toffee and buttered popcorn.
In the Glass: Smooth, smoky, nutty flavors
Sip: Neat with one cube of ice.
Cocktail: FJW Whiskey Sour
Visit: The GIA bar and venue is open to the public on Fridays 2-9PM and Saturdays 12-9 PM where you can sample the products, purchase crafted cocktails, as well as try wines from our sister company Nonno Nino Winery and purchase bottles . Currently not doing tours due to COVID.
Old Nick Williams Distillery was established in 1768 and at the time the North Carolina Prohibition was enacted in 1909, they were one of the largest legally operating distilleries in the United States. For over 250 years, the Williams family has had an amazing and colorful journey. From participating in the Revolutionary War to establishing and then losing an established whiskey brand to prohibition.It is currently owned by Van, John, Matt, and Zeb Williams who are all the grandsons and great-grandsons of Nicholas Glen Williams, the last owner of the distillery prior to Prohibition.
"ONW Straight Bourbon is made from a centuries old family recipe," explains co-owner and Operations Manager, Ashlee Ellis. “We pride ourselves on staying as true to the original recipe as we possibly can and we hope we are making our ancestors proud. We use locally grown corn (65%), wheat (30%), and malted barley (5%), which we grind ourselves at the distillery. We age the bourbon for a minimum of 24 months in new American oak. We use well water from the property in the mashing process just like it has always been done and proof with LeBleu water which is located less than 20 miles from us.
On the Nose: Notes of caramel, butterscotch, and toasted oak.
In the Glass: Smooth and warm on the back of the tongue.
Sip: Neat with one cube of ice.
Cocktail: Blueberry Mint Julep
Visit: Tours are offered Monday-Thursday from 11am-5pm and Friday-Saturday from 11am-6pm. They are $10 per person and include a tasting and a shot glass.
“Our distillery’s mission is to simply make some damn good bourbon,” says Brandon McCraney, Master Blender. With a focus on the art of blending and distilling spirits, Olde Raleigh’s attention to detail is noticeable in every drop of their small-batch blends. This same attentiveness has guided the complete renovation of an abandoned 10,000-square-foot brick building in Zebulon, North Carolina, for their family-owned distillery, tasting room, and event space.
“The details behind the Olde Raleigh Whiskey Society Bourbon make for a truly unique expression,” says McCraney. “Using 19th-century Scottish blending traditions, it’s a tour across America. With hand-picked ingredients from coast to coast, our signature blend features three separate mash bills sourced from both sides of the U.S. We use four grains — malted barley, corn, rye, and wheat – aged across five different states. Once the barrels are ready for harvest, we blend and bottle each small batch by hand to create a distinct and complex whiskey.”
On the Nose: Sweet corn, malted whopper, spice, oak
In the Glass: Black Pepper, allspice, red hots, malts that coats the tongue like a warm bear hug. On the finish - allspice, citrus zest & oak.
Sip: Neat or over a single small rock of ice.
Cocktail: Signature Smoked Olde Fashioned
Visit: Olde Raleigh Distilling is open Tues - Thurs 4-9PM, Fri 4-11PM, Sat 12-11PM, Sun 12-6PM. General Tours are Saturday at 1PM. Private Reserve Barrel Tours are available by appointment.
A true grain-to-glass distillery, on a beautiful 20-acre farm, Southern Distilling Company is deeply rooted in heritage in historic Statesville, North Carolina. Founded by Pete and Vienna Barger in 2013, the distillery now comprises a state-of-the-art, glass fronted distillery.
The Bourbon mash bill recipes are a minimum of 51% corn, with the Southern Star Paragon, using 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley, resulting in a warm and sweet wheated bourbon. It is aged for a minimum of 4 years in charred and toasted oak barrels and bottled in 3 different expressions: Paragon original at 92 Proof, Paragon Bottled-in-Bond at 100 Proof, and Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel selections.
On the Nose: “Our Paragon Wheated Bourbons capture the distinct essence of a traditional North Carolina Whiskey,” explains Vienna Barger. “A mature, well developed, and complex bourbon, carrying notes of butterscotch and caramel with a sweet and easy-going character.”
In the Glass: “Our Southern Star High-Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskeys are a warm balance of rye spice, wood notes and fruit that excite the taste buds,” says Barger. “At 90 Proof, it maintains a flavor intensity and complexity that bourbon drinkers seek and enjoy. Creamy mouthfeel and long and enjoyable finish.”
Sip: Neat or over a single large cube of ice.
Cocktail: Southern Sazerac
Visit: Southern Distilling Company offers behind-the-scenes tours & tastings. Please visit the website, facebook page, or call the distillery for scheduling and availability.
Southern Grace was co-founded in 2014 by Leanne Powell and Thomas Thacker (after leaving behind careers in politics) in Concord, North Carolina, becoming the first legal distillery in Cabarrus County. The distillery moved into an abandoned State prison in Mount Pleasant, expanding production to include Bourbon. They converted the 1929 prison dorm and the solitary confinement “Hot Box” into barrel houses. “Another reason for the move to Mount Pleasant was the potential to develop a tourism venue around the former prison,” explains Director of Operations, Emily Burkhart. “"Whiskey Prison'' was the concept of our co-founder and President Leanne Powell, who we lost in 2019, but whose vision for a unique guest experience guides us to this day.”
Named “The Best Bourbon in America Under Four Years Old” at the 2019 New Orleans Bourbon Festival, Conviction goes from grain to glass entirely on the Southern Grace property. “Our grain bill is 88% corn and 12% malted barley. The corn is purchased from a grower less than four miles from the distillery and all of our barley is grown in North Carolina. Conviction Single Barrel Straight Bourbon is always uncut and unfiltered and bottled at barrel proof,” says Burkhart.
A unique feature of Conviction, is that all the specifics of each batch are hand-written on the label. “We have to do that because all Conviction is barrel proof, or cask strength. So, while it has a barrel entry proof of 105p, every barrel has a slightly different proof when it is harvested,” explains Burkhart. The bourbon I tasted for example was Barrel 732, which has a proof of 99.6 or 49.8 abv.
On the Nose: Vanilla, clove, stewed fruit & honey notes.
In the Glass: A bold, smooth mouthfeel with peach and caramel notes.
Sip: The drinking recommendation for Barrel 732 is a two ounce pour with a single cube of ice or a drizzle of cold water.
Cocktail: Conviction Old Fashioned
Visit: Different tours are offered throughout the year. The most popular one is the Behind Bars Tour, offered Tuesday-Saturday at 12:30, 2:00, and 3:30 and takes guests into the production facility to see how Conviction Bourbon is made.
Don Walton has been an attorney in Jacksonville, NC since 1989 and is the owner of Walton's Distillery. A graduate of UNCW, he moved to Kentucky to work for a relative in a retail venture and eventually returned to college at University of Kentucky School of Law. “While living in Kentucky I had the opportunity to visit a lot of the distilleries and became obsessed with the idea of opening a bourbon distillery in North Carolina,” says Walton. “I returned to North Carolina in 1989 and began practicing law in Jacksonville. My plans to open a distillery were delayed a decade or two but in the meantime I experimented with countless mash bills and post distillation techniques.” After obtaining their federal permit to distill spirits they ran test batches for over 9 months and decided upon a corn whiskey, using locally grown field corn.
“I decided to name all of our products after my grandparents. The first product was E.M. Walton's Corn Whiskey which is 100 percent corn, distilled five (5) times utilizing limestone water drawn from an onsite well. Our whiskey is steeped on toasted Appalachian oak chips, filtered and tempered to 80 proof before bottling. Our E.M Walton's Straight Bourbon Whiskey is simply our corn whiskey barreled. Our Bourbon is 100% corn which makes it unique as most bourbons are a combination of different grains. We barrel our Bourbon for a period of not less than 2 years in a new charred white oak barrel. Our barrels are rotated as they age and currently we are emptying 3 and a half year old bourbon.
On the Nose: Hints of vanilla, oak and caramel.
In the Glass: A bold, smooth mouthfeel with vanilla and caramel notes.
Sip: Straight on ice.
Cocktail: Walton’s Bourbon Cherry Cola
Visit: Free tours and tastings at the distillery Monday - Saturday. Tours run approximately every 30 minutes, begin at 10:00 am and end at 4:30 pm.
IF YOUR LOCAL LIQUOR STORE OR FAVORITE WATERING HOLE DOESN'T CARRY THESE FINE BOURBONS, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SO.