Tour of Keepsake Cidery

The good folks over at Keepsake cidery in Dundas, MN granted us special access to their property over the weekend to have a sneak peak at their progress. The Dram Craft crew included seven of us who could not have asked for a better day to spend time on an orchard farm sipping some well crafted cider.

Keepsake formed its roots (literally) in the spring of 2014 when they planted the first of what would become their current 2,400 apple trees. The trees include over 30 varieties that range from domestic and sweet to more bitter UK and French apples. Their trees are all high volume producing and are situated on a surprising 3 acres of land with plans to expand to about 3,200 trees on 7 acres. They additionally grow other types of fruits for special blends and experiments.

Owners Tracy and Nate spoke at length of numerous budding and blossoming relationships with other orchards, farms and spirit producers such as Loon Liquors with whom they have plans for future collaborations. This was fantastic to hear and further proof of the growth of craft culture in rural as well as urban communities. On the floor of their production facility, we saw a number of large crates of different apples "sweating" it out before their not-to-distant pressing. Keepsake is also employing some old world technologies such as the practice of maserating whereby the ground apples are left to marinate in angled vats prior to pressing.

Finally, entering the temperature controlled fermentation room at Keepsake, the spirit of experimentation was palpable as the room was filled with both large tanks, presumably fermenting juice for their flagship releases, as well as dozens of carboys containing specialized projects. Since the young orchards at Keepsake have yet to produce juice that has made it into a bottle of their currently available cider, Keepsake's crews have worked hard to source their first batches from other orchards. However, we were treated to a sampling of some of Keepsake's own wild fermented juice and we eagerly anticipate the finished, limited release product that will be due out in the coming year. Eventually Keepsake intends to release ciders that contain 80% juice from estate grown apples.

It was pleasing to hear Nate and Tracy speak of the exciting growth and collaboration going on at Keepsake and among others south of the Twin Cities area. However, as they reiterated multiple times throughout our visit, Keepsake intends to stay small and focus on doing one thing and doing it well. For all of us here at Dram Craft, that's something to which we can eagerly raise a glass. Cheers.

秩父蒸溜所での見学 ・ Visit to Chichibu Distillery

先週、秩父蒸溜場を見学する機会がありました。8年前、友人となった飛騨高山にあるセンター4ハンバーガーのオーナー、高中学さんの計画と肥土さんからの招待のおかげで秩父へ行ってきました。

Dram Craft was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to tour the Chichibu distillery this past week in Saitama prefecture, Japan. This was purely a visit for pleasure, but since the distillery is not currently open to the public, we thought there might be a fair amount of interest in this Chichibu eye candy.

最近秩父蒸溜場からのニュースは今現在秩父蒸溜場に1500樽熟成してる貯蔵庫とあわせて、羽生に新しい貯蔵庫ができました。

11人しかいないまだまだ小規模な蒸溜場なのに、この一年日本のウイスキーに対する要求が非常に増加した為、徐々に成長ができるベースができたでしょう。アメリカにとって、最近、中型マーケットに届いたイチローズモルトと、最近、肥土さんがプロモーションしに来たことを考えると、アメリカ人ファンは、手に入れることがこれからできるでしょう。

A few bits of news from Chichibu include the recent completion of an aging cellar located in Hanyu that now accompanies their first storehouse on site at Chichibu that is currently aging about 1,500 barrels. Hanyu was the site of Ichiro's family's original distillery which produced the whisky that comprised the famous playing card series whiskies.

At 11 employees, Chichibu distillery is still a very small operation, but with the recent (insane!?!?) demand for Japanese whisky, it is safe to say they will have stable growth well into the future. The good news for the U.S. is the recent arrival of a couple labels in mid-sized markets and Ichiro's recent promotional tours stateside. Even with high demand, it looks like he won't overlook us patient American fans.

Our tour was completed by a complimentary tasting session and a greeting by the man himself who graciously gave us quite a bit of time and photo opportunities. Our evening was completed by a visit to Chichibu's local Salvage　・ Te Airigh restaurant and bar at the recommendation of Ichiro. Upon arrival we were warned that food orders may take a little longer than usual, but we were ok with that as we had come to drink! But after two hours and only a couple of hors dourves, we began to wonder what was going on. However, eventually word leaked down that the party upstairs in the restaurant was Ichiro's birthday party at which point a collective "Ahhh" of understanding took place. You gotta love a town that cherishes its own. Happy Birthday Ichiro.

見学が終わったら試飲だけではなく、肥土さんと話しをしたり、一緒に写真を撮ったりすることもできました。最後に肥土さんがお勧めしてくれた秩父駅前にあるサルベージ・チェアリーで飲食をしました。着いた時にレストランの方に、食事を出すのに少し時間がかかるかもしれないと注意されました。二時間経っても二つの前菜しかでてこない状況に、皆がお互い目を合わせ、大丈夫かなーと心配になりました。でも結局のところ、上のレストラン・サルベージで肥土さんの誕生日パーティーが行われてるということを知り、「アッ、なーるほど」と皆がその状況を納得してしまいました。その町が地元の人を大事にしていることは、とてもいいことですよね。お誕生日おめでとう、肥土さん。

Ice Ice Baby!

The dog days of summer are upon us here in Minnesota. It's the perfect time to enjoy the shade with an ice cold refreshing drink. Whether on your own or in the company of others, one minor detail that goes a long way to elevating the experience is crystal clear ice. For some, the following may seem like an absurd length to go for frozen water, but ice will contribute to the temperature, aroma, taste and the overall look of your drink. For those paying attention, that is four of our five bodily senses that are crucial for enjoying a well made beverage. As far as I'm concerned, that cold summer beverage better have some damn fine ice.

Therefore, I'd like to share with you my home-made method for the ice I consume in my leisure time.

First, start with your choice of natural spring water gushing from some part of the earth near you or....your local supermarket.

Next, boil the hell out of it. The water will probably be fine, but this is a preventative measure to eliminate all impurities if present.
Find yourself a cooler like this Coleman and clean it. Pour in your precious water.

The next step is of great importance. The key thing is a slow freeze. Therefore, I place my cooler of water, with the top propped up a bit, in a freezer set at the mid-range temperature. This way my cooler will get cold enough, but it will drastically slow down the process. The open top will allow for airflow and adequate expansion.
After approximately forty-eight hours, you should have a gorgeous frozen block of (mostly) clear ice. Now comes the fun part. While it is certainly feasible to use molds, I enjoy the randomness of shape the results from simply applying a hammer and chisel. Leaving the block of ice out for a bit to melt and soften will certainly aid your cause.

When you've hacked away enough to produce a satisfactory amount of cubes, you'll be ready to enjoy a well-deserved dram of your daily sipper, all the while taking in the pleasure of watching a few crystal clear cubes dance around your glass.

Palate Cleanser

After one year on this journey to discover the brightest and best of the world of craft distilling, I am both overwhelmed by the challenge of sorting through the many new products available, while at the same time comforted to realize there is no reason to rush. Considering such trends in the whisky world of dropping age statements and exclusive bottlings, I am now much more willing to let a number of these releases pass. The burgeoning craft distilleries have young, promising whiskey, but young nonetheless.

Therefore, in order to slow things down, take my mind off of the task at hand, and to celebrate the arrival of summer, I am going to indulge it a bit of uncomplicated fruitiness. I call upon you, beaujolais to take my cares away and saturate me in some summery strawberry goodness. Santé!

クラフト蒸留の世界を理解する努力の中一年たち、たくさんの新しいウイスキーを試飲して評するのは大変なチャレンジである一方、慌しくテイスティングする必要がないと気づいた。最近、年齢も書いていないボトルや数量限定のリリースなどのウイスキーの世界における傾向を考えるとこうしたたくさんの商品を放してもいいと思っている。同時に、クラフト蒸留されたウイスキーには将来性があるが、まだまだ若いなぁと最近思っている。

従って、ゆっくり舌を休ませる為に休憩します。その上、ミネソタでは夏が到来し夏を向かうためにイチゴの味が強くするボジョレーを飲みながらこのサイトのチャレンジを少し忘れまあーーす。

Whiskey on Ice, Minneapolis, MN's First Whiskey Festival!!

Minnesota's first ever large scale whiskey festival was held this past Sunday, April 12th at the historic depot in downtown Minneapolis. There were sixty booths and nearly 100 labels sampling anywhere from a single whiskey to a half dozen. Bag pipers in traditional Scottish dress, catered appetizers and seminar classes were all pleasant features to a perfect venue in which to hold this inaugural event. Surly beer was even there with some barrel aged brews for a nice change of pace.

この前の日曜日、4月12日にミネソタ州では初めて大規模のウイスキー祭りが行われました。60ブースのテーブルの上に100ブランドが展示され、一つの蒸留所に対して一種類から六種類までのウイスキーがありました。スコットランドの伝統的な衣装を着てバグパイプを演奏している人や前菜、セミナー教室などの素敵なイベントもありました。最近人気があったミネアポリス市にあるSURLYというビール会社もいて3つの樽で熟成されたビールも提供していただきました。

Overall, we were pleased with the event. There was an even balance of scotch, American whiskey and world whisky. It was not over-sold and therefore, crowds were not a problem. We always had access to a booth and were able to speak to many brand representatives. I think it was a good idea to have it on a Sunday evening rather than earlier in the weekend, because not all pourers kept to the 10 mL limit and we saw at least one hapless fellow topple over onto a display.

全体として、この行事はよかったです。スコッチやアメリカのウイスキー、ワールドウイスキーなどのバランスがよかったです。行事のチケットもバランスよく売れ行列ができなかったです。そのテーブルでテイスティングしながらブランドの代表者とコミュニケーションをいつでも取ることができました。さらに、金曜日か土曜日ではなくて日曜日に行おうという戦略的な考えはよかったと思います。お酒を注ぐ人々は皆、10ミリリットルという限定を守ったわけではなく、飲みすぎて倒れる人もいました。

Among the snazzy brand manager suits and pretty blondes representing the bigger names, there were a few of the little guys to be found. We were happy to see local distillers like 11 Wells and Panther present. There were a number of producers in attendance with whiskies that we have featured here on Dram Craft such as Mississippi River, Hudson, High West and Westland. Murphy Quint of Cedar Ridge had a nice line up and was even kind enough to pull from under his table a sampling of a port finished single malt. We planted the seed for a Cedar Ridge distillery "special feature" this summer, so hopefully there will be many more of those bottles available for tasting.

大きな会社を代表しているセールスマンはおしゃれなスーツや金髪の髪をしている女性を起用している中、実際に作っているという知識がある小規模蒸留所のセールスマンは地味な人たちもいました。イレブン・ウェルズとパンサーという地元の蒸留所がいて嬉しかったです。ミシシッピ・リバーやハドソン、ハイ・ウエスト、ウエストランドというこのドラム・クラフトでテイスティングしたブランドもたくさんいました。シダー・リッジのマーフィークイントが美味しいサンプルを準備していて、テーブルの下から出したポートでフィニッシュされたシングルモルトも飲むこともできました。今年の夏に蒸留所を紹介するために予定も作ってそのシングルモルトのようなボトルが試飲できるといいですね！

Our friend Carson Panther of Panther Distillery was in attendance. He had their full line up for tasting with the exception of the new Saint Paul Rye which had been featured in the previewed list of whiskies, but unfortunately was not yet ready. He also had a little experiment that we will get the chance to talk about further when Dram Craft makes its first special feature distillery visit in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

友達カーソンパンサーもいて、パンサー蒸留所で作っているウイスキーの中、セントポール・ライ以外全部を持ってきてくれました。セントポール・ライは宣伝広告に書いてあったがまだ出来ていないみたいです。彼は小さな実験をこのイベントで見せてくれたがそれについては次回パンサー蒸留所へ行って来てからもっと詳しく説明します。

Because of our special Japanese connection here at Dram Craft, we took a slight detour from the craft distillers and indulged in the major expressions from both Nikka and Suntory that were available for tasting. It appears the no age statement (NAS) black label Taketsuru Pure Malt blend will be soon replacing the 12 year old. This has already happened in Japan and if they keep the price point the same here in the U.S. ($50-$60), I would avoid it. Beam Suntory also confirmed that the Hibiki "Japanese Harmony" will be moving in as they phase out the Hibiki 12 year old. For fans of this whisky, we recommend stocking up while you still can.

そして、ドラム・クラフトは特別な日本との繋がりがあるので小規模蒸留所を離れて、ニッカとサントリーが持ってきたウイスキーもエンジョイしてきました。今までみたいに簡単に竹鶴12年が買える日が無くなるみたいで、黒いラベルの竹鶴をアメリカでは初めて見ました。もちろん日本で一年以上前にこのラベレは発売されたが、アメリカではあまり人気がなく高い値段（約$50）でお店に置いてあります。ビーム・サントリーは響12年が響ジャパニーズハーモニーというラベルに変わることを認めました。私は両方がなかった時代を覚えていて、まだ17年は鉱物なのであまり私には関係がないことですが、こんな年齢が書いていない（NAS）という傾向はちょっと悲しいと思います。

最後に嬉しいことを言うから、これからドラム・クラフトで紹介するウイスキーは下に書いてあります：

Thanks to the wide range of sampling, here are some whiskies that we definitely will feature in upcoming Dram Matches include:

Hudson Single Malt, Westland Sherry, 11 Wells, Amrut Peated, Bastille French Whisky, Buffalo Trace, Compass Box, FEW Bourbon Single Barrel, Kavalan Sherry, Panther Pike Street Bourbon etc.

Looking forward to next year!

また来年！

Dram Match #8 American Single Malts!

Cedar Ridge Single Malt
vs.
Westland Single Malt

ポールのシダーリッジ　・　Paul Owen's Cedar Ridge

香： 熟したバナナ、すし酢、レモンドーナツ、石鹸の店、イースターエッグのキャンディー。

味：　口の中柔らかい、酵母、すっぱい、オールスパイス、病院の部屋　（香りのほうが満足できる）。

余韻：　甘みが残る、若気の香り。

Nose:　Ripe banana, sushi rice vinegar, lemon donut cream filling, soap shop, pastel/Easter egg candies.

Palate:　Soft mouth feel, yeast-sour, allspice, medical examination room, flat (much more satisfying nose).

Finish: Saccharine quality lingers briefly. Youthful femininity.

タンポポのシダーリッジ　・　Tanpopo's Cedar Ridge

香：　バナナ、エステル、シナモン、雪玉のケーキ、水彩絵具、子供よう消しゴム、杉。

味：　バルサの木、焦がしたニンニク、冷たい沢、80年代に使った咳の薬、キュウリ、ホワイトペッパー、まだ弾けていないポップコーン。

余韻：　薫香、オレンジの中果皮、カイエンペッパー、カボチャの種、キャステル石鹸、レモンクッキーと一緒に食べたほうがいい！

Nose:　Banana, esters, cinnamon, Hostess snowball frosting, watercolor paints, cute erasers, cedar.

Palate:　Balsa wood, burnt garlic, cold swamp, 1980s Robitussin, slight cucumber, white pepper, unpopped popcorn.

Finish:　Incense smoke, orange pith, cayenne pepper, pumpkin seed, castile soap. Recommend with lemon cookies!

　　ポールのウエストランド　・　Paul Owen's Westland

香：　サイダー、樹皮、オークのよう、ももの缶、サフラン、オレンジビター。

味：　口の中はいい感じ、ミンクオイル、ラズベリー、シナモン、香りからのオレンジビター（また、香りのほうがよかった）。

余韻：　ダークチョコ、花屋、まだ若いのに大人っぽい味が少し残る。

Nose:　Cider, buttoned up, tree bark, oak influence, peach can, saffron, orange bitters, tropical fruit Starburst.

Palate:　Good mouth feel, double boom effect, mink oil, Raspberry, Cinnamon, orange bitters from the nose (again, a much more satisfying nose)

Finish:　Dark chocolate, Florist shop. A mature femininity in spite of obvious youth.

　タンポポのウエストランド　・　Tanpopo's Westland

香：　調理後のブルーベリー、苦いオレンジ、リノリウム、焼いてないパンの生地、新しいスポンジ、羊の皮。

味：　ユリの花、一日たったコーヒー、紙、黒ウォールナット、デイジーの花、誘惑的。

余韻：　樹皮、花粉、男らしい、皮。

Nose:　Cooked blueberies, bitter orange, linoleum, uncooked dough, new sponge, sheepskin.

Palate:　Day lilies, day-old coffee, paper, black walnut, daisies, more to explore...

Finish:　Bark, flower pollen, masculine, leather.

VERDICT 結果

Bourbon and Rye Tasting @ Black Diamond Liquors

The nice guys over at Black Diamond Liquor store in Eagan, MN recently hosted a bourbon tasting along with Melissa Thompson of Vinocopia . Melissa brought us eight selections (see below) ranging from the more well-established to lesser known labels. Four Roses is, of course, a well known brand and Jefferson is gaining popularity for their openness and barreling/blending experimentation. I was not familiar with Prichards in the least, but the prospect of a "Double Chocolate Bourbon" added some intrigue to the anticipation, if only to provide me the chance at rebuking yet another flavored whiskey.

Anyway, this lineup was enticing as all of these bottles held great potential, but none were currently on my short list of "Must Buys," and therefore offered a good opportunity to do some exploring. My fellow imbibers consisted mostly of middle-aged women and a couple pairings of late 20-somethings. I would estimate most were at a beginner to experienced-dabbler level of whiskey drinker. The women seemed to be wine cross-overs and to further confirm my suspicion, Melissa started us out with a surprise Pinot Grigio that she thought some members would like. This was a crowd pleaser (free booze!). Once we got into the whiskey, we were treated to both a fine detailed pitch for each selection as well as some entertaining anecdotes per each producer. I attempted to jot down quick notes for each selection, but as you will see, this proved to be impossible. I will, however, share a few thoughts.

Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon (A Mixing Whiskey!)

For many, this is a great introduction to bourbon, but for a good many others, probably a waste of time. We were informed that this was blended from ten different Four Roses bourbon recipes, but obviously blended to the least common denominator. But that is ok, it serves its purpose. I wrote descriptors like ash, weeds, wet stone and sandpaper.

Jefferson Very Small Batch Bourbon (Raised eyebrows)

This was quite an unexpected surprise and very different from the bourbons in this line up as well as others I have had recently. While indeed light, I initially noted an aroma of dark fruits, grape, though a bit musty, bubble gum.... Ultimately, it was the subtle resemblance to a young Ichiro's that induced momentary reverie.

Jefferson VSB Reserve Bourbon (Shrug, Quality)

This bourbon was much more in line with a number of others I've had recently. Solidly grassy/grainy sweet balanced with earthenware qualities, (I could have been in a pottery shop!) The greater age of this bourbon at 12-15 years produced a wonderfully long and pleasant finish, by far the best feature of this whiskey.

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon (See Above)

If the Jefferson had more of that grassy sweetness, this bourbon was much more confectionery with notes of butterscotch and sheetcakes, but also a freshness that evoked an image of rushing forest streams. A confluence of four bourbon recipes, this works well to produce a great balance and glossy mouth feel. Solid choice.

Everything Else!

By the fourth sample, the pace of liquor flow had started to pick up and I decided it would be better to set my pen down and enjoy the wee tipples rather than get too distraught about analyzing. Therefore, I will keep my comments to a minimum and only say that I have yet to be impressed with the Four Roses Single Barrel. For me, the Four Roses Small Batch and its blending of four recipes rather than one just works better. Finally, I cannot ignore the Prichards Double Chocolate Bourbon whiskey. While it was certainly interesting to sip a whiskey that wasn't the same old vanilla story, I don't think it belongs in the same price category as a Blanton's Single Barrel or Woodford Reserve Double Barrel.

Anyway, the take-aways for me are as follows:

#1 Jefferson Very Small Batch Bourbon

&

#2 Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon