Tenth Ward Releases Spiced Whiskey for Bottle Club Members…
Written by Amanda Boroughs, Marketing & Events Manager, Tenth Ward Distilling Company
We’ve come a long way, 2020. And now it’s time for our fourth and final Bottle Club release of the year! Honestly, I think this one is my favorite so far. But before I dive in, let’s recap our other three Bottle Club releases of 2020…
January: Barreled Caraway
This was a goodie. We mostly use malted grains for our whiskies, so this one was made up of malted rye and malted barley. And like our year-round Caraway Rye, we also included caraway seeds in the mash which gave it a subtle spice. But unlike our Caraway Rye spirit, we aged this one in used bourbon barrels and then finished it in medium toast wine barrels. Taste-wise, it starts off nice and quirky with bready hints of pumpernickel, followed by some sultry vanilla mid-notes. It finishes with long-lasting and lip-smacking oak and tobacco flavors.
April: Conservation Cordial
The Conservation Cordial started out with a neutral cane spirit base which we infused with mimosa blossoms for three weeks before distilling it out into a perfumed spirit. We then infused that spirit with Japanese honeysuckle and white mulberries, and slightly sweetened it with locally sourced honey. The nose has floral and vegetal notes with a soft underscore of earth. Upon tasting the Conservation Cordial, soaring notes of freshly picked honeysuckle and mimosa blossoms dominate the pallet, with a pleasing astringency from the mulberry balancing out the liqueur, which remains on the pallet with a long-lasting but pleasant earthy note.
July: Sloe Gin
Traditional sloe gin is made by soaking sloes in gin and adding sugar to extract the sugar from the fruit. For our Sloe Gin we distilled a traditional London Dry “juniper bomb” gin with coriander, roasted almonds, lemon and lime peel. We even tossed a few sloes into Falcor (our hybrid still) during distillation as well! This crisp, clean and bright gin base was then directly infused with even more sloe berries, hawthorn berries and a blend of white and demerara sugar. For three months. The berries were filtered out with traditional muslin bags, racked off, proofed with spring water and bottled. The result is a traditional sloe gin with pleasant astringency, followed by sparkling pine notes of juniper, finishing with soft sweetness and long lasting floral notes.
Tenth Ward Spiced Whiskey
Okay, we know what you’re thinking.
Yes! Like Fireball, right?
Get out.
No seriously. Get. Out.
We’re Tenth Ward, remember? Everything we make is made with all natural ingredients and no artificial flavors or coloring. 100% craftsmanship. This devilish one-time-only release has the complete essence of fall without smelling like a fall scented candle… Or tasting like your typical spiced shooter.
For this special release, we took our Maryland style rye and aged it in brand new No. 4 charred American White Oak barrels for six months. We then infused it with cloves, allspice, candied orange peel, fresh d’anjou pears, vanilla beans, and cardamom pods and then lightly sweetened it with demerara sugar.
Wait, so it’s not like Fireball?
Now you’re getting it!
On the nose you will get familiar wafts of baking spices, rich dark chocolate and notes of pepper. With a sip you’ll experience warming heat finishing with fall blossoms across the pallet finishing with a delicious, delicate sweetness. It’s everything you want in a fall-inspired whiskey.
Bottle Club Release: October 10
Bottle Club members will be able to pick up their reserved bottle(s) on Saturday, October 10. We’ll also have a Bottle-Club-exclusive cocktail on our new fall menu. But we’re not telling you what it is just yet. You’ll just have to come in and visit us to find out.
Don’t forget, you’ve got to be a Bottle Club member to snag any of these bottles. If you’re not a Bottle Club member, don’t worry. You can sign up for free. Still not sure if you want to join? Check out our blog about the perks of being a Bottle Club member.
Cocktail Recommendations
Spiked Spiced Punch
1 oz Spiced Whiskey
0.5 oz Autumn Liqueur
Sweet hard cider to top
In a highball glass, add the spiced whiskey and autumn liqueur. Fill the highball with ice, top with cider, and stir. Garnish with apple fan. Serve.
Maple Sour
1.5 oz Spiced Whiskey
1 oz fresh lemon juice
3 dashes orange bitters
3 tsp. maple syrup
1 egg white or 1 oz aquafaba
Fill a cocktail shaker with the whiskey, juice syrup and egg white/aquafaba. Dry shake for 20 seconds. Add ice and then wet shake for another 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a singed orange peel.
Spiced Molasses Old Fashioned
2 oz Spiced Whiskey
3 dashes orange bitters
3 dashes lavender bitters
3 tsp. molasses
Place the molasses in the bottom of a rocks glass. Top with both bitters. Stir well to blend the bitters in with the molasses. Place a large ice cube in the rocks glass. Pour the Spiced Whiskey over the ice cube. Garnish with edible lavender buds.
