Fresh off of judging the inaugural First Landing Cup - a spirits competition focused exclusively on Virginia producers - It’s so nice to highlight more fantastic juice from one of my favorite whiskey makers in the state: Ragged Branch.
What started as a distillery visit to select something for our Seelbach’s monthly whiskey subscribers turned into an almost impossible decision between RB’s Double Oaked Wheated and Signature high-rye bourbons. In true Seelbach’s fashion, when the options are just too good to choose only one, what did we do?
Naturally, we snagged both.
While the high-rye bourbon is currently reserved exclusively for our monthly subscribers, this 7+ year wheated double oaked bourbon was first filled in #3 char, before moving to #4 char for its secondary oak, and is sure to knock your socks off. As we've said before, this would be a great bottle to have in a flight or tasting with Kings County Bourbon. Two completely different states and processes, but really unique similarities. Cheers to Virginia whiskey.
Ragged Branch 7 -Year Wheated Double Oaked Bourbon #2800 126.8 Proof - Selected by Seelbach's
Imagine a chocolate peanut butter stout but it’s a bourbon. The nose is thick chocolate malt with creamy peanut butter and heavy notes of raisin and date the longer you sit with it.
The palate is viscous and coating with heavily brewed espresso, smoked vanilla bean, and rum raisin bread.
The finish is long and trailing with rich dark chocolate, smoked cherry syrup, charred oak, and a lingering digestif-like bitterness.
Ragged Branch Distillery starts by growing 100% of the raw grains on leased or owned land. They only source the malted barley. They distilling a pot/column hybrid still. Only producing about a barrel a day. The whiskey is aged in their barrel barn for a minimum of 4-years. This is a Virginia bourbon! If you love to explore true craft spirits this is a great one to add to your cabinet. The bourbon's have plenty of traditional characteristics, but the Virginia grown grains and pot still distillation add unique notes.
