BERKSHIRE MOUNTAIN DISTILLERS

When Chris Weld, founder and master distiller at Berkshire Mountain Distillers, was thirteen years old, he set about building a still for his eighth grade science project. "My dad was a Scotch drinker, so Id gotten it in my head that I wanted to build my very own still,"he says. When he learned that distilling spirits without a license was a federal offense, "well, that kind of put the kibosh on the whole plan."In 2007, he decided to try again. After purchasing some property in the shadow of the Berkshire Mountains in Sheffield, Massachusetts, Weld opened the doors to Berkshire Mountain Distillers. At the time, the land was little more than a dilapidated apple farm, but it did sport a legendary hot spring that was once deemed to produce the finest water in the world. Back in the 19th century, the water from the spring was thought to be so curative and therapeutic that people would travel across the country in order to drink from it. While Weld doesnt claim that the spring water which is rich in minerals and naturally granite-filtered has any mystical healing powers, he does swear by it.Handcrafted in small batches, Berkshire Bourbon is made from a mash of 72 percent corn, 18 percent rye and 10 percent malted barley. The corn is sourced from within two miles of Welds distillery, and the rye and malted barley also come from New England. Following fermentation, Berkshire Bourbon is triple-distilled in a traditional pot still before being aged in virgin American white oak casks and brought to proof using Welds legendary spring water.Try this legend today.

When Chris Weld, founder and master distiller at Berkshire Mountain Distillers, was thirteen years old, he set about building a still for his eighth grade science project. "My dad was a scotch drinker, so Id gotten it in my head that I wanted to build my very own still,"he says. When he learned that distilling spirits without a license was a federal offense, "well, that kind of put the kibosh on the whole plan." In 2007, Weld decided to try again. After purchasing some property in the shadow of the Berkshire Mountains in Sheffield, Massachusetts, Weld opened the doors to Berkshire Mountain Distillers.Berkshire Mountain Cask Aged Bourbon is a collaboration between Berkshire Mountain Distillers and the famed Ommegang Brewery, located in Cooperstown, New York. The bourbon is made from a mash of 72 percent corn, 18 percent rye and 10 percent malted barley, all of which are sourced from family farms in New England. After the grains arrive at the distillery, they are mashed and fermented before being distilled three times through Welds copper-pot still.Once the bourbon has matured in virgin, American oak casks, it is double-barreled, or finished, in casks that were previously used to mature Ommegang Adoration Ale (10 percent ABV). Adoration Ale is a Belgian winter style ale that is dark, malty and assertively spicy. In addition, Adoration Ale itself is aged in ex-bourbon casks, meaning that the extra maturation of Berkshire Bourbon is, in some sense, a return home.After Berkshire Mountain Ommegang Cask Finished Bourbon has aged for a minimum of four years in the combination of virgin American oak and ex-Adoration Ale barrels, it is brought to proof and bottled by hand.The bourbon has an aroma of caramel, sweet spices and light fruits that gives way to crisp notes of vanilla, maple syrup, rye and dark fruits. The finish is slightly spicy, and complemented by bursts of citrus and honey.Pick up a bottle today!