CEDAR RIDGE DISTILLERY

Nestled in a picturesque stretch of the Heartlands, just outside the town of Swisher in Eastern Iowa, sits Cedar Ridge Vineyards, Winery and Distillery. Family-owned by Jeff and Laurie Quint, Jeff serves as both Master Distiller and Master Winemaker at the small operation, which has an outsized reputation for quality. Cedar Ridge the first micro-distillery in the state began distilling vodka back in 2005 before moving onto fruit liqueurs and, eventually, bourbon, crafting Iowas first bourbon whiskey since Prohibition.Iowa is a natural place to distill corn-based spirit, says Quint.Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon Whiskey is distilled and aged on-site at the Idyllic Cedar Ridge Vineyards, Winery and Distillery. The bourbon is crafted from a mash of approximately 70 percent corn, with barley and rye making up the remaining 30 percent, and distilled through a European-engineered 80-gallon pot still before being charcoal filtered and aged in new, charred American white oak barrels.As a result, Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon has a deep amber color and an aroma of raisins, mustard seed, fresh corn and wood shavings. The palate is filled with sweeter notes of honey, clove and tropical fruits and leads to a light and smooth finish filled with herbaceous notes of juniper and anise above an underlying taste of cornbread.Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon has been declared Gold by the Beverage Testing Institute for three consecutive years pick up a bottle today!