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Crostwater Bourbon Returns

Crostwater Bourbon Bottle

Weekends are typically the time when distilleries release spirits but Crostwater Distilled Spirits in Lewisberry, PA (just south of Harrisburg) is going with a Monday release. Today, August 31st, they are releasing a new batch of their Crostwater Bourbon. Made with Pennsylvania corn and a mash that also contains rye and malted barley, the bourbon is aged at least a year before bottling.

Described as having notes of lingering sweet caramel with “smokey notes on the nose and the back of your throat. It is not harsh or bitey. “

Available for pickup or local delivery, Crostwater Bourbon is $39.99 (80 proof). Due to the small batch size, the distillery is not taking pre-orders.

Crostwater already has October 16th marked on its calendar for a rye whiskey release and is also working on a bottle Pennsy Local has a well know weakness for, a version of the Pennsylvania classic, Rock-N-Rye.

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Out of State Report: Cooper River Is Back (kind of)!

Cooper River Straight Bourbon

One of the first craft distilleries I went to was Cooper River Distillers along the River Line light rail line in Camden, NJ. The old garage was a ramshackle setup and the epitome of bootstrapped endeavor. But the bartenders were friendly, the cocktails were great, the setting sun blinding, and the promise of something new and exciting was real.

Unfortunately it didn’t work out for James Yoakum and his fledgling distillery. He shut the distillery down two years ago and sold his barreled inventory to Recklesstown Farm Distillery in Columbus, NJ, about 27 miles north from Cooper River’s location. There, the spirits have continued to age and on Saturday, August 29th at 12 pm, the first batch (300 bottles) of Straight Bourbon Whiskey will be placed on sale.

Recklesstown has another connection to Cooper River as head distiller, Ben Donia previously worked at Cooper River and played a part in the production of the bourbon.

The whiskey is described as having sweet vanilla flavor, rye spice and “plenty of age.” The 15-gallon barrels were rested for more than two-and-a-half years.

The bottles are $55 each and there will be a limit of two per customer.

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Phoenixville’s Bluebird Distilling Preps 5th Anniversary Release

Bluebird Fifth Anniversary Bourbon Finished in a Rum Barrel

Bluebird Distilling officially turned five back on June 23rd of this year and that usually means a blowout party but this year is different, cause ‘rona. But this weekend the Phoenixville distillery is celebrating (safely) with a new open-air pergola, expanded outdoor seating area and a two special spirit releases.

Bluebird is releasing its fifth anniversary, five year bourbon finished in Jamaican rum barrels. Touted as a “Bourbon Vacation,” Bluebird’s four grain bourbon is aged in new American oak for four years and then finished in dark Jamaican rum barrels for an additional year. The result is described as starting “with rich notes of caramel, toffee and tobacco, finishing with a solid punch of bananas, cloves and dried fruit.” 750 ml bottles will be available for $59.99.

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